Reverberations
by acertainzest
Summary: Even when there's trouble in paradise, the show must go on. Caskett AU. This is the third installment of the "Life of Sound" series and my entry for the summer 2017 #CastleFicathon.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Hi everyone! This is the next installment of my "Life of Sound" series. If you haven't yet read the first story, "The Life of Sound," and the short sequel, "Root Position," I highly recommend reading those before this one. Enjoy!_

* * *

 **Reverberations**  
 **A Life of Sound story**

 _In order to create there must be a dynamic force, and what force is more potent than love?  
_ -Igor Stravinsky

* * *

"And you haven't spoken to him in two whole days?"

Lanie Parish stared across the café table at her friend, who shook her head, grimacing.

"No," Kate Beckett replied. "He was a complete jerk about the whole thing."

Lanie frowned at Kate, then at the newspaper lying on the table between them. "Honey, you know this is just typical tabloid stuff, right?"

"Well, yeah." Kate's cheeks flushed slightly. "After I calmed down, I realized that. But that's not the point." She glared at the headline: _Castle and Beckett, The True Story!_

Lanie sighed and ran her eyes over the article again.

" _What's the real scoop behind the whirlwind romance of superstar composer Richard Castle and soprano Kate Beckett? By now we all know the story of how K-Becks turned to the violin after her mom's tragic suicide, only to stage a triumphant return to singing after a chance encounter with Castle last year. Can it be a coincidence that shortly after meeting Castle at the New York Symphony's annual Messiah performance, Beckett was in the limelight, filling her mother's ten-years-empty shoes? Sure, she has an extraordinary voice, but what exactly does she see in Castle, or vice versa? Could it be that the role of steady, reliable concertmaster was beginning to bore, and she saw in Castle an opportunity to break into something more glamorous? Insiders say their lovey-dovey act is the real deal, but we're not so sure. It seems awfully convenient that Beckett's career is taking off just as her relationship with Castle is doing the same. We can only hope the ruggedly handsome stud knows what he's doing._ "

"They're as good as saying that I'm using him to advance my career," Kate said, her eyes flashing. "It's offensive!"

"I know it is, honey," Lanie agreed, deliberately folding the paper over so that the headline and accompanying article weren't visible. "But listen, you know this is mostly just about jealousy, right? I mean, girls have been busting their humps trying to build a singing career out here, and you pop up out of nowhere and suddenly you're the big sensation. That's what this is about." She tapped the paper with a fingertip. "They're just stirring up shit. Sour grapes."

"Mm," Kate grunted reluctantly. She took a sip of her coffee, sighed, took another sip. "You're probably right."

"Of course I'm right. You gotta develop a thicker skin about this stuff, Kate."

"That's exactly what Castle said," she grumbled. "Only he phrased it more obnoxiously."

Lanie tsk'd, stirring more sugar into her own coffee. "The boy does lack in tact sometimes."

"He made it sound like I was being completely unreasonable to be upset by that," Kate went on angrily. "He just doesn't get it. _He_ doesn't need to worry about what people think of him."

"Okay," Lanie said gently, trying to calm her friend down as the waiter appeared with their lunches. "So he's being a jerk, but what are you gonna do about it, girl? You breaking up with him?"

"What? No!" Kate exclaimed, shocked. "Why would you think - No. Of course not. I _love_ him."

"Other guys you've dated, you'd be dumping him at this point," Lanie observed neutrally. "When things start getting too intense, too serious, you bail. That's your pattern, girlfriend."

"I know," Kate said, shifting uncomfortably in her chair. "But that was in the past. With Castle, it's... it's different."

"Well, then you're gonna have to talk to him, aren't you?"

Kate took a bite of her salad and scowled across the table at her friend. "I hate it when you're all logical."

"I know. It's one of my worst flaws," Lanie grinned.

* * *

"Okay, thank you, we'll be in touch. Next!"

Rick Castle startled at the director's shout so close to his ear. He straightened in his seat, briefly focusing in on his surroundings, then slumped back again with a sigh. He watched without interest as a young singer gathered up his sheet music and was escorted out by one assistant while another ushered in the next applicant.

On his right, Carol Harcourt, the director, was shuffling through a pile of paper, while on his left sat Geoffrey Rockefeller, one of the producers of all three Derrick Storm shows and soon-to-be executive producer of _Heat Wave_ , currently studying Castle with a slight frown.

"Something wrong, Rick?" Geoffrey asked sotto voce as the next auditioning singer handed his sheet music to the accompanist.

"No," Castle denied. He pressed his lips together and forced himself to pay attention.

"Patrick, right?" Carol called, and the young singer nodded.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Great. Whenever you're ready."

Patrick nodded nervously, and glanced at the accompanist, who began to play.

As the young man launched into an early Storm aria, Carol leaned sideways, not taking her eyes off the auditioner. "Rick," she muttered, "you're a million miles away."

"No, I'm here. I'm with you. I am," he lied, scowling at her and then over at Geoffrey. "Really."

"Mm." Carol cast her eyes significantly downward, onto the notebook sitting on the table in front of Castle. It was currently open to a blank page, a pencil sitting askance atop the lined paper. By contrast, the notebooks in front of Carol and Geoffrey were brimming with scrawled notes and commentary on the auditions they had heard so far.

Castle sighed again. It was no use. He knew how important the casting process was - he certainly wanted to be sure to get the exact right performers for all of the roles in _Heat Wave_ \- but he just couldn't concentrate on the auditions right now. His mind was, as Carol had said, entirely elsewhere. Specifically, on his girlfriend, who was currently not speaking to him.

"Sorry. I need a break," he told Carol quietly, already getting up out of his seat. "Just go on without me. It's fine."

His seat flipped up with a thump as he stood up and walked away, ignoring the whispers and stares, and the way Patrick's tremulous tenor faltered. He felt a little guilty, but it didn't matter - the kid was all wrong for the part of Detective Raley anyway.

Castle slipped out the rear of the theater, avoiding the front entrance where the auditioners would be gathered, each waiting for their shot at glory. Down a short corridor - miraculously deserted at the moment - he made his way to a door that let out onto the alleyway alongside the theater building. He just needed some air.

It was early September, but the weather was still August-like, and the heat hit him like a blast as he emerged from the air-conditioned building. He welcomed it, pushing up the sleeves of his button-down shirt as he pulled his phone from a pocket to check the screen.

Nothing. No calls, texts, or emails from Kate.

For the hundredth time in the past few days he considered calling her, but hesitated. He just didn't know what to do.

Okay, he could admit it: he felt bad about their fight. In retrospect, he had been far too dismissive of Kate's distress over that stupid tabloid article. He was fully accustomed to ignoring that kind of thing, but she wasn't, and he should have been more sensitive.

It was just so hard for him to take seriously the idea that anyone would believe Kate was only dating him out of cold, calculating ambition. If anything, he was the one who was lucky to be with her. Besides, they worked in very different musical genres, so he wasn't really in a position to advance her career, even if he had wanted to - even if she would let him. The mere idea was ridiculous. Kate Beckett didn't need his help; her own musical knowledge and talent would take her wherever she wanted to go.

He wished he had said all of that to her in the midst of their fight, rather than making light of her concerns. He hadn't realized how genuinely upset she was until it was too late.

His first few attempts to apologize, the day after she stormed out of his loft in a huff, had been rebuffed. Now, after waiting another day to let her cool off, he wanted to try again; he just didn't know how. Or whether she would even be receptive to it.

What if she still wouldn't take his calls? What if this really was the end of them? He slumped against the brick wall of the theater, his chest tightening at the awful thought.

No. It couldn't be. He loved Kate too much to let her go over something like this. He would just have to get hold of her somehow and make her hear his apology. Find some way to show her how sincere he was.

But it would have to be later, because he had committed to spending the day hearing these auditions. With a sigh he pushed himself away from the wall, straightening his shoulders as he slipped his phone back into his pocket. Duty called.

* * *

"So Castle doesn't even know about your new gig, huh?" Lanie asked as she and Kate exited the restaurant.

"Nope." Kate shook her head. "I didn't get the official word until after we... after our fight." She was trying hard to seem casual, unaffected, but she could tell by the look on her friend's face that she wasn't succeeding.

But all Lanie said was, "Mm-hmm. And what are you gonna do with yourself the rest of the afternoon? Didn't you clear your whole schedule for today so you could sit in on the auditions for his new show?"

"Yeah," Kate sighed, pulling her purse strap over her shoulder. "And tomorrow too. But I have plenty of errands to run, and one of my tutoring students requested a last-minute session for this afternoon."

"Okay." Lanie pursed her lips, studying her friend. "Try to find some time in there to call him, honey. You know you want to."

Kate averted her eyes and didn't reply. Of course she wanted to call Castle; that much was obvious. But that was also part of the problem. In fact, she found it more than a little frightening how much she missed him after only two days of not speaking.

"Think about it," Lanie said, and the women hugged each other briefly and went their separate ways.

As Kate approached the stairs that would take her down into the subway, she pulled out her phone and glanced at the screen. To her surprise, there was a missed call and a voicemail - from Roy Montgomery, her beloved voice teacher. He had called from his studio at Juilliard about an hour ago, just as she and Lanie were beginning their lunch. She changed direction, stepping to the side of the subway entrance as she tapped to bring up the message.

"Kate," Roy's voice came through the speaker, sounding strained. "Kate, we need to talk. I have to - There's something I need to tell you." He paused, and she heard a sound that might have been a sigh or a groan. "Just, just call me, all right?" he concluded, and the message ended.

Kate stared at the phone, frowning. The phrase _we need to talk_ seemed ominous. She bit her lower lip and tapped the call icon.

She listened to several rings, and then a recording of Roy's voice began. "Hello, you've reached Roy Montgomery in the Vocal Arts department. Please leave a message..."

Kate ended the call, deciding to send him a text on his cell phone instead. _Sorry I missed your call. What's up?_ she typed, and hit the send button as she began to descend the stairs.

A short subway ride brought Kate to the side entrance of Symphony Hall, and a strange mixture of pleasure and sorrow flooded her as she walked through the familiar door and down the familiar corridors of the place where she had spent so much time, created so much music. She had performed in this hall countless times, perched on her chair at the front of the stage with her violin under her chin. The music and the memories were so deeply ingrained in her - yes, even the memories of last year's _Messiah_ concert, tainted though it had been by the tragic murder that she and Castle had witnessed here and then helped to solve.

Symphony Hall had been like a second home to her. But now, little by little, she was moving on.

Pushing aside the melancholy, she knocked briefly and opened the door leading to the administrative offices. Lois, the symphony administrator's secretary, greeted her warmly, and after they exchanged pleasantries, Kate was ushered into the inner office to see Howard Grainger, her former boss.

"Lovely to see you as always, Kate," said Howard in his public-relations voice. "Good of you to come by. I appreciate it."

"It's no problem," she replied, cocking her head curiously at him as she sat down in one of his guest chairs. "Is this about the Haydn recordings?"

"Yes. Yes," Howard agreed, nodding, looking relieved. "I wasn't sure if you remembered."

"Of course I remember," she said, surprised. "It's in my contract. I told you I'd honor the remaining engagements in the contract even though I didn't renew it."

"Good, good." Howard nodded again. "So..." He pushed a piece of paper across his desk. "Those are the four symphonies, as you know, all to be released on a single CD. Here's the rehearsal schedule and then the schedule for the recordings. It's all there. I trust there won't be any conflict with your... other commitments." He lifted his eyebrows, clearly hoping she would drop a juicy tidbit of information as to what those other commitments might be. Kate merely smiled at him.

"I'm sure there won't be a problem." She picked up the paper and studied the dates. "This should all be fine. I'll double-check my schedule and let you know if there are any problems, but I don't think there will be."

"Excellent. Excellent." Howard beamed at her. "It'll be lovely to have you playing with us one last time."

Kate couldn't hold back a smirk as she replied, "And I know what you're really looking forward to is creating the marketing materials." _Kate Beckett's Final Recording as a Violinist!_ \- she could already picture the advertisements that Howard had in mind.

Her former boss had the grace to dip his head with a rueful smile of acknowledgement. "You know me too well, Kate. We're certainly looking forward to making the most of the publicity."

"Of course." She tucked the piece of paper into her purse and stood up. "Nice to see you again, Howard."

"Yes indeed. Always a pleasure." They shook hands, and she moved to the door.

"All set?" asked Lois as Kate emerged from Howard's office. She nodded confirmation.

"Yep." But Kate paused, leaning her hip against the side of Lois's desk and lowering her voice. "By the way, how are things going with Perlmutter, and Yukiko as the new concertmaster? Is she..." She trailed off, unsure how to finish the sentence.

It wasn't that Kate lacked confidence in her replacement, Yukiko; it was just that Perlmutter, the grouchy longtime conductor of the New York Symphony, could be so hard to manage. It had taken Kate quite a long time to develop a good working relationship with him - one where he trusted her to keep the orchestra running smoothly, and she knew just how to work around all of his many quirks.

Yukiko was an excellent violinist and a very organized person; Kate knew she would be a good concertmaster as well. But Kate couldn't help feeling a little guilty about the way she had thrown the younger woman in at the deep end, so to speak.

"Oh, yes, everything's going just fine," Lois assured her. "Actually..." She glanced over her shoulder, making sure that Howard's door was closed again, and lowered her voice even further. "Actually," she repeated in a near-whisper, "Yukiko has found her own unique way of... handling him. If you know what I mean."

Kate felt her jaw drop. "Seriously?" She gaped at Lois. Surely she must have misunderstood the implication. "You mean they're... You're kidding."

"Nope." Lois popped the P in the word, her expression mirroring Kate's own feelings of mingled astonishment and distaste. "They're keeping it fairly quiet, but people do notice these things."

"Wow." Kate blinked a few times, momentarily speechless. "Uh, well, good for them, I guess. But I _really_ don't want to know."

"That's exactly how I feel," Lois agreed, and they both laughed. "Nice to see you again, Kate."

"You too."

Stepping out onto the street again a moment later, Kate took her phone out of her purse. There were no new messages. She tried calling Roy again, but as before, it went to voicemail. This time she left him a short message, and then she tucked the phone away and got to the bus stop just as the bus arrived.

* * *

"Okay, that's all for today. Thanks, everyone."

The last auditioner for the day was leaving, the accompanist standing up from the piano and stretching her arms over her head. Carol Harcourt closed her notebook and leaned over to speak to Castle and Geoffrey.

"I liked those last two for Ochoa," she said. Both men nodded agreement.

"Yeah," Castle said, looking down at his notebook. He had managed to focus on the afternoon's auditions well enough to fill several pages with notes. "Those two and the one from this morning, for callbacks."

"Tomorrow is the big day," Geoffrey added. "We've got finalists for Cynthia coming in the morning, and then the finalists for Nikki and Rook in the afternoon." He looked at Castle and hesitated, as if he wanted to ask a question, but decided to leave it unsaid.

"Yeah," Castle said again, flipping his notebook shut, not meeting the others' eyes. He knew they were wondering whether Kate would be coming to observe the auditions tomorrow, as they began the crucial task of casting Nikki's mother and the two leads. Before he and Kate had fought, she'd been planning to sit in on the auditions today and tomorrow. Now... he didn't know what was going to happen.

But he didn't need Geoffrey and Carol to know all of that, so he just said, "See you tomorrow," as he rose from his seat and headed outside.

Checking his watch as he signaled for a cab, he frowned; it was later than he had expected. There wouldn't be time to stop at home. Once he was in the taxi, he took out his phone and called his daughter.

"Hey, Dad! How were the auditions?"

"Hi, pumpkin. Auditions went fine. How was back-to-school shopping with Gram?"

"Great," Alexis enthused. "I got everything on my list, plus this really cute pair of shoes. And don't worry, I didn't let Gram get ahold of your credit card," she added with a light giggle. Castle grinned, leaning back in his seat.

"Good girl. So, sleepover at Maya's house tonight, right?"

"Yeah. I'm packing now. Are you coming home?"

"I can't," he sighed guiltily. "I'm running late as it is, and I have to get to the theater for Storm."

"It's okay, Dad," his daughter reassured him. "I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

"Of course. Have a good time with Maya. Love you."

"Love you too."

The taxi disgorged Castle outside the theater where _Storm Surge_ was playing. At this point in the evening, a couple of hours before showtime, there wasn't a lot of activity on the sidewalk outside - just normal New York City foot traffic - but the interior of the theater was bustling.

Castle felt very much at home in the midst of this controlled chaos; he had, after all, spent much of his childhood in theaters, tagging along behind his mother. Later, as an adult, he had spent even more time in Broadway theaters, laboring to bring his shows (the reviewers, critics, and music journalists insisted on calling them 'musicals,' but he preferred the term 'rock operas') to life. Just stepping through the door of the theater made his shoulders feel looser, his smile less forced.

In the normal course of events, Castle didn't attend his own shows very often, let alone participate in them. But _Storm Surge_ was approaching its 1,000th performance, and although ticket sales remained steady, the publicity team had decided to hype up the milestone. They hoped to capitalize on the renewed interest and press that Castle had been getting recently, spurred by the announcement that his new show, _Heat Wave_ , was beginning the casting process.

So, for the next week, Castle had agreed to conduct all of the performances of _Storm Surge_. His fans loved seeing him conduct almost as much as they enjoyed his music, and the show's usual conductor had welcomed the opportunity to take a break.

As Castle made his way through the busy backstage area, voices called out his name in greeting. He gave a smile and a nod toward each face.

"Evening, Mr. Castle," said the stage manager. "Dressing room is ready for you. Can I get you anything?"

"I'm fine, thanks," he responded.

"Mr. Castle," the house manager said, appearing at his elbow, "will you be needing any comp tickets tonight?"

"No, thanks, and you can sell out my private box," he replied, still in motion, weaving his way between set pieces, piles of props, techies, and half-costumed extras.

The house manager nodded, making a note on his clipboard. "Drinks at Moloney's after the show if you want to join us," he added over his shoulder as he turned away.

"Castle," another voice called, and he found a familiar face approaching from the wings. It was Greg Garland, a baritone who had played several roles in Castle's musicals over the years and currently sang the role of Jedediah Jones, the principal villain in _Storm Surge_.

"Greg, good to see you." Castle greeted the other man with a hearty handshake, but something in Greg's expression gave him pause, bringing his feet to a stop. "Is something wrong?"

"I really need to talk to you," Greg said, pitching his voice low, for Castle's ears only. "Is there somewhere private we could-"

"Ah, good, you are here, Castle," said another voice from his other side. It was Tomás Azzurrino, the assistant music director, holding a battered and copiously marked-up copy of the _Storm Surge_ score. "I have some notes to go over with you for tonight, if you have a minute."

"Oh," Castle said, looking uncertainly from Tomás to Greg. "Well, I was just going to-"

"No, it's okay." Greg shook his head, waving a hand. "Forget it. It can wait."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Greg flashed a smile, which looked artificial and unconvincing to Castle, but before he could press the matter, the singer had walked away.

"Now, in scene two, the dance bit," Tomás began, oblivious to the tension. Castle shrugged, shaking it off, and turned his attention back to the music.

* * *

Kate took a deep breath of the hot, humid air as she emerged from the upscale apartment building where her tutoring student lived.

It had been a good session, but tiring. After just a few months of focusing on singing, she was already beginning to find it difficult to bring her mind and body back to playing the violin. She shook her head slightly at herself; she would need to make an extra effort to get in at least an hour or two of violin practice time per day before the Haydn recordings. On top of the singing practice she was already doing, the few select singing gigs she had already agreed to, and her tutoring and other activities, that was going to keep her quite busy.

Slinging her purse over one shoulder and her violin case over the other, she began walking toward the subway. By the time she got home, it would be time to find something to eat, and then she could get in some vocal exercises and look over the music for her upcoming voice lesson with Roy.

But aside from that, the whole evening stretched out in front of her mind's eye, quiet and empty.

Lonely.

She sighed, her steps slowing as the reality of how much she missed her boyfriend tugged at her, bringing the corners of her mouth down. Maybe it was time, after she went home and had something to eat, to swallow her pride and call him.

In that moment, her phone buzzed in her purse, startling her. She could almost believe that it was Castle, reading her mind from halfway across town, and her pulse quickened as she dug out the phone. But the number displayed on the screen was an unfamiliar one. She frowned, pursing her lips, trying to push down the irrational surge of disappointment as she swiped to answer the call.

"Hello?"

"Kate?" The other woman's voice was familiar, but she couldn't quite place it, until the caller went on, "It's Evelyn Montgomery."

"Oh. Evelyn, hi," Kate said, feeling a sudden cold lump of worry gathering in the pit of her stomach. Why on earth would Roy's wife be calling her? "Is, is something wrong?" she asked hesitantly.

"I'm afraid so," Evelyn replied, and she sounded so weary, so anxious, that it brought Kate to a complete stop on the sidewalk, her hand tightening around the phone. "It's Roy," Evelyn added, "he's... well, we're at the hospital. It looks like he had a stroke."

"No," Kate gasped, shocked. "He- but I just saw him yesterday." Immediately she wanted to kick herself for the inane words, but Evelyn didn't seem to notice.

"I know, honey," Evelyn said, "and I just wanted to... I saw that you had called, so I thought I'd let you know."

"Which hospital?" Kate asked, abruptly jerking back into motion, lifting her free hand to signal for a taxi. "I'll, I'll come right away. I can be there in half an hour."

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! I plan to update 2 or 3 times per week._ _There will probably be about 15 chapters, but don't quote me on that._

 _Acknowledgements: Thanks to Lord of Kavaka for the cover art; to InkyCoffee for plotting/outlining help; to alwayswritewithcoffee for Broadway show logistics info; to DocNerd89 for medical consultancy; and last but most definitely not least, to The-KLF for fabulous beta assistance._


	2. Chapter 2

_**Trigger Warning:** As you may recall, in this AU, Johanna Beckett died by suicide. Therefore this story will contain some references to suicide, although it's not the primary focus._

* * *

 _Experience first, then intellectualize._  
-Carl Orff

Castle sat in his dressing room, reviewing the _Storm Surge_ score one more time.

For years he had lived and breathed Derrick Storm's story. The music that shaped and defined the superspy's exploits had filled Castle's head in every waking moment. Even though everyone had called him crazy for writing a second Storm musical ("This isn't Hollywood, Rick. No one does sequels on Broadway"), he had persisted, following _Storm Warning_ with _Storm Front_ and then _Storm Surge_. Each show had been more successful than the one before it, shutting up the naysayers and making Castle even more notorious than he had been before.

Of course, he wasn't in it for the fame or the money. It was all about the music, the stories - the melodies and emotions that pounded through his head day and night. The music needed out.

But suddenly, a month or two into previews for _Storm Surge_ , all of his inspiration - all of his interest in Derrick Storm's ongoing saga - had simply dried up. Rick Castle had no longer heard melodies floating through his brain; he had no longer cared what happened next to Storm. Even the standalone songs he frequently composed, several of which had turned into hit singles for rising pop stars, had stopped coming. He'd begun to worry. He'd taken some new conducting gigs, just to keep music flowing into his ears, just to keep himself busy, to try to distract himself from the almost paralyzing fear that he might have... simply... lost his touch.

Then, entirely unexpectedly, he had met Kate Beckett, and inspiration had struck him again like lightning. Yes, that was a terrible cliché, but it felt apt. Every time he had sat down at his piano to work on _Heat Wave_ , he'd felt electrified, his fingertips tingling with excitement. The music was ringing through his head again, nonstop. Derrick Storm was forgotten. All he could think about was Nikki Heat, and her real-world counterpart, Kate.

Now _Heat Wave_ was fully written and beginning to become a reality, but Nikki still filled his mind constantly. He wasn't sure where she was going, but he knew without any doubt that _Heat Wave_ was only the beginning of her story. The obsession he felt with Nikki made Derrick feel like a passing fancy by comparison.

Yet, here he was, diving back into the world of Storm. The music and the plot were familiar, like an old pair of shoes - but, like an old pair of shoes that had been left out in the rain, they felt subtly different. He knew that the music hadn't changed; only he had. Storm, who had captivated his attention for so long, felt flat and boring in comparison with the depth and complexity of Heat. But that was unfair, he told himself; Storm's character and story might be less interesting, but the music still had the same power. And he would immerse himself in it, commit to it, tonight and for the other nine performances over the coming week.

"Twenty minutes to curtain, Mr. Castle," called a voice from outside the dressing-room door. "Anything you need?"

"No! No, I'm fine, thank you," he called back, jolted out of his musings. He put the score down on the countertop and reached for his tuxedo shirt.

* * *

Roy Montgomery had been a fixture in Kate's life for as long as she could remember. Although only a few years older than Johanna Beckett, he had already been an experienced vocal coach when he met her, and they had soon discovered a synergy, forming a partnership that had both of their careers taking off.

Some of Kate's earliest memories included Roy: as a child she had spent many hours coloring or playing quietly in the corner of his studio while her mother and Roy worked through this or that piece of music. Sometimes little Katie would lie on the floor underneath Roy's grand piano, the accompaniment crashing down on her head while her mother's voice floated along high and distant, heard but unseen. She would watch Roy's feet work the pedals of the piano, and when the music paused - echoes still resounding faintly in that secret space below the soundboard - she could hear Roy's voice as a low rumble, full of passion as he gave Johanna his advice and suggestions for how to perfect her performance.

Kate had come to think of Roy as an uncle, a favored family friend who always had an easy smile for her; and when she got older, she came to think of it as inevitable that he would become her voice teacher some day as well.

But that hadn't happened. Instead, Kate's mother had swallowed a handful of pills one terrible afternoon, and after Johanna's funeral, Roy had kept his distance from Kate and her father. Each of them was mired in their own personal grief, unable to comfort or take comfort from each other. It had taken five years for Kate and Jim to rediscover each other and rebuild their relationship; another five years after that before Kate was able to sing again, and to reconnect with Roy.

In the nine months since Kate had begun taking voice lessons with Roy, they had renewed their old friendship. Things had been a little awkward at first, but soon enough they had become comfortable with each other again. Roy understood, perhaps better than anyone, just what Kate had lost, and just what she was struggling to regain.

She couldn't bear the thought of losing him again so soon.

Kate burst out of the elevator, her eyes darting around, searching for the waiting area that the receptionist at the hospital's entrance had directed her to. She found it in an instant, a small drab room filled with uncomfortable chairs, inconveniently placed side tables, and a small crowd of Roy's family members.

"Kate," said Evelyn Montgomery, approaching to usher her in. The older woman's face was drawn and lined with worry. "You didn't have to come, honey."

"Of course I did," Kate insisted, pressing Evelyn's hand between hers. "How- how is he?"

"We haven't heard anything more," Evelyn sighed, shaking her head. "They took him back for a CT scan and MRI, and we're just waiting for news."

"Evelyn..." Kate hesitated, not wanting to add to the other woman's worries. But what if it was somehow related? She had to know. "He called me earlier today," she stammered. "Left a really weird message, just saying that he needed to talk to me about something. Do you know what that was about?"

Evelyn stared at her, bemused. "No." She shook her head slowly. "I don't- he didn't mention anything to me. But I was at work, and he was at his studio. So I don't know."

"Okay. It's fine," Kate shrugged, trying to wave it off. "I'm sure it's nothing important. He'll tell me when he gets better."

Evelyn didn't answer that, merely took a slow deep breath and sank back down onto a chair.

Kate closed her eyes briefly, took a breath of her own, and lowered herself onto the chair beside Evelyn. Reaching into her purse, she took out her phone, and winced when she saw the display showing the Recent Calls list.

In the taxi on the way over, after having stopped briefly at home to drop off her violin, her fears and anxiety about Roy had momentarily overcome everything else and she'd found herself with her phone in hand, dialing Castle's number almost by instinct. Not until she'd heard the rumble of his voice on the voicemail greeting had she come to her senses and remembered that they were fighting. She'd quickly hung up without leaving a message.

Then she had felt guilty about it; he would see the missed call on his phone and be confused, or so she imagined as she sat in the back of the cab chewing on her lower lip. So, feeling like an idiot, she had called back, intending to apologize for the hang-up. But she'd found herself hanging up again, completely at a loss for what to say.

So now Castle had two missed calls from her instead of just one. God, that was embarrassing. She was acting like a teenager, for heaven's sake. Time to be an adult, she told herself, and so she stood up and moved into the hallway, out of earshot of the Montgomery family members quietly talking in the waiting room.

As she listened to the phone ringing in her ear again, a thought suddenly struck her: Castle was conducting _Storm Surge_ tonight. Of course. That explained why he hadn't been answering his phone. She felt her cheeks heating up anew.

"You've reached Rick Castle," his voice slipped silkily into her ear. "Please, do leave me a message. I'll get back to you just as soon as I can."

"Castle," Kate said, feeling incredibly awkward. "Um, I, uh, just wanted to say sorry for the missed calls. I'm, uh." She paused, her gut clenching again as she thought about Roy. "I'm at the hospital, there's something wrong with Roy. I was upset and, and, um, I shouldn't have called you. Sorry. Don't worry about it," she finished in a rush, and quickly stabbed the disconnect button before she could say anything else stupid.

Heaving a sigh, she slipped the phone back into her purse and returned to her seat in the waiting room.

* * *

"Great first half," said the house manager as Castle emerged from the conductor's pit at intermission. The cheers and applause had finally died out, giving way to the rumble of hundreds of voices as the audience made their way out of the theater to hit the restrooms or concession stands.

"Thank you," Castle said, and turned to give congratulatory handshakes and smiles to the performers as they streamed offstage, breathless and sweaty, their eyes sparkling with the rush of adrenaline. "Great job, everyone. Sounding great out there. You were amazing," he said, and other such platitudes as he made his way toward his dressing room. Most of the actors were doing the same, hurrying to find a place to sit and take a few breaths before they plunged back into it for the second half.

Arriving at his dressing room at last, Castle was gratified to find a bottle of his favorite sparkling water waiting for him, the sides wet with condensation that showed it was freshly chilled. The stage manager of _Storm Surge_ had an incredible gift for remembering the stars' preferences; he made a mental note to thank her later.

He sank into his chair, sipping the water and taking a moment to consider how the first half had gone before he began to review the second half.

As he dropped his score onto the table, his eye caught on his phone sitting there next to his hairbrush and keyring. He always left his phone behind when he went out to conduct; didn't want to risk even the momentary distraction that its vibration in his pocket might create. He reached for it, pressing the button to wake up the screen.

His heart thudded painfully in his chest when he saw the notifications. A missed call from Kate... and another... and a third, and then a voicemail.

The indecisiveness represented by the multiple calls was uncharacteristic for Kate. Why had she called three times before leaving a message? Castle found his palms sweaty, his breathing speeding up as he tried to read between the lines. His finger twitched above the button, and then pressed it. He lifted the phone to his ear to hear the message.

"Castle," he heard, and his gut clenched. He hadn't at all realized how much he missed the sound of Kate's voice. But as she stammered her way through an apology and explanation, his anxiety grew. She sounded so upset, so uncertain. He didn't know what was going on with Roy Montgomery, but he did know how close Kate had grown with Roy over the past few months - how much she had come to rely on him, both musically and personally. Castle could only imagine how anxious Kate must be, if Roy was seriously ill.

Without fully thinking it through, he found his thumb pressing the call button, and in another moment Kate's voice was coming through the phone again.

"Castle?" she said, sounding tentative and oh so weary.

"Kate," he murmured, and even though he knew she was upset, he felt some of the tension melting out of his shoulders just at the fact that they were talking. "Hey, I got your message," he went on. "What's going on with Roy? What hospital is he at?"

"Mercy General. Shouldn't you- Aren't you conducting tonight?" she asked, sounding surprised.

"It's intermission." He frowned, feeling awkward. Of all the ways he might have envisioned their first phone call after the fight, this certainly hadn't been on the list.

"Oh." She paused for a moment, and then said quietly, "I guess they think he had a stroke. We're not sure yet. They took him for a bunch of tests."

"Oh no." Castle closed his eyes and sighed. "I... I can come down there after the show. I could-"

"No, no," Kate interrupted, echoing his sigh. "You don't have to do that. It's, it's fine."

"Are you sure?" he asked hesitantly. "You're... are you okay?"

Kate paused, and he could almost see her biting her lip, in that way she did when she was trying to figure out what to say. "I'm okay," she said at last, still sounding tired, but firm. "Really. But thanks, uh, for calling."

"Of course." There was so much more he wanted to say: that he was sorry, that he loved her, that he hoped Roy would recover soon, that he wanted to talk to her, to see her again. But just then there came a knock on his door and a voice calling his name.

"Five minutes, Mr. Castle."

"Okay," he called, and then quickly back into the phone, "Kate-"

"You have to go," she said calmly. "It's fine. Break a leg, Castle."

"Thanks." He groped for words yet again, but yet again came up empty. With a sigh, he ended the call.

* * *

 _"You're thinking about her, aren't you?"_

 _"What?" Kate asked, blinking in surprise. Roy had stopped the music in mid-phrase, and the simple melody and Italian lyrics of the Donizetti aria still buzzed in her mouth, in the air around them._

 _It was Kate's third time at Roy's studio since the Messiah concerts less than two weeks ago. Their first two lessons had focused on basic warmups, scales and arpeggios, breathing exercises. The conversation had remained carefully, delicately formal, as they tiptoed into the process of getting to know each other anew. The subject of Johanna Beckett had not been brought up at all, by either of them, until now._

 _"You're thinking about her when you sing this piece," Roy said, studying her from his seat on the piano bench. "Did you ever hear her do this one?"_

 _"I - I'm not sure," Kate admitted. "It seems familiar, but I don't have any specific memories of it."_

 _"Mm." Roy nodded thoughtfully. "She probably did sing it in your presence at some point. I can see you imitating her."_

 _"I'm not imitating her," Kate exclaimed in surprise, drawing a smile to Roy's face._

 _"Not consciously," he corrected, "but it's there - her breath patterns, her phrasing, the way she used her vibrato. I know you don't mean to do it, but you're singing like her, Kate. I could hear it in Messiah too," he added, resting his hands lightly atop the piano keyboard. "Job number one is going to be teaching you how to sing like_ _you_ _." Seeing her about to object, he lifted a hand to forestall her. "It's not a criticism," he told her gently. "Your mother had an incredible talent, and so do you. But your voice is your own, Kate. Your style, your technique - you need to develop it for yourself. You can't sing exactly the way she did. I don't think that's what you really want."_

 _Kate took a deep, shuddering breath, and her jaw worked back and forth as she struggled to fight off the tears that prickled the corners of her eyes. "You're right," she whispered, when she thought she had herself back under control. "I know you are. I just... singing makes me feel close to her again. I can't help thinking about her when I sing."_

 _"I know," Roy sighed. "I know." He shifted aside on the piano bench, making a space beside him and patting it in invitation. Kate forced a weak smile for him, blinking hard, and moved to sit next to him._

 _After a long moment of shared silence, Roy spoke again. "I remember when you decided to start playing the violin," he said, his eyes and voice soft with the memory. "Fourteen, weren't you?"_

 _"Yeah," Kate acknowledged, her eyes glued to his face. It surprised her, how hungry she suddenly felt for the story Roy was preparing to share. She felt a fresh round of moisture gathering in her eyes already._

 _"I remember your mother talking about it in our sessions," Roy went on with a small smile. "Ranting, almost. 'The violin, Roy, of all things!' You had such incredible vocal talent, even at that young age, and she couldn't understand why you'd even bother with a different instrument." He shook his head slowly, lost in the memory. "Now, my older daughter was only in kindergarten at the time, so what did I know about teenagers? I said, 'Johanna, calm down, she's not doing this to rebel against you.'" He let out a soft chuckle. "And she said, 'Oh please, of course she's doing it to rebel against me. That's how I know I'm doing things right.'"_

 _Kate huffed a surprised laugh. "Yeah, that sounds like her," she murmured._

 _Roy shifted on the piano bench, turning his body toward her. "The point is," he said, "your mother understood that you needed to be your own person. Even though we all believed that singing was your main passion just like it was hers, she knew that you needed to exert your independence, and learning to play the violin was part of that. She knew it wouldn't be right to refuse, to try to force you to be just like her."_

 _Kate took another shaky breath, and the tears finally began to spill over. "I would have come back to singing," she choked out. "I would have, eventually. I always loved it."_

 _"And now you have," Roy pointed out gently. "Better late than never."_

 _He handed her a tissue from the box atop the piano, and rested his hand on her shoulder while she wiped her eyes and pulled herself together._

 _"Thank you," she whispered at last. Roy gave her a slow nod and a sad smile._

 _"Any time, Kate. Now, let's get back to it."_

 _From that day forward, the ice had been broken, and they could talk about Johanna again. Her name came up frequently, the two of them sharing stories about her that had them laughing, sighing, rolling their eyes, and occasionally reaching for the box of tissues again. And little by little, as the lessons progressed, Kate found that she was hearing her own voice when she sang, not anyone else's._

Kate surfaced out of the memory and looked across the hospital waiting room to see Evelyn Montgomery speaking quietly to a couple of the relatives. The crowd had thinned out, Roy's family members leaving one by one or in groups to head home for the night. As Kate watched, Evelyn hugged her two daughters, then spoke a last few words to the pair of adults, who nodded and pressed her hands briefly before leading the girls off toward the elevators.

Evelyn paused then, heaving a sigh, and turned back toward Kate.

"Did you get the results of MRI yet?" Kate asked as the older woman approached.

Evelyn shook her head, sinking into the chair beside her again. "Not yet. He's still not stabilized enough for it. They let me back there to see him for a minute."

"How is he?"

Evelyn sighed and shrugged. "Putting on a brave face, I suppose. Told me not to worry." She ran a hand slowly across her face. "Easier said than done." Then, drawing in another deep breath, she straightened her back and turned to Kate. "You should go home, honey. It's getting late."

"No, it's okay," Kate demurred, staring down at her hands in her lap. "I, I'd like to stay until I know for sure that-" She cut herself off, not wanting to finish the sentence. "I'll stay," she said instead.

Evelyn studied her for a moment. "All right then, Kate. Thank you."

A long moment of silence spread out between them.

"You know," Evelyn said at last, her voice low and quiet, "when your mother died, Roy threw himself into his work."

Kate looked up, surprised, and found the other woman gazing at her with an inscrutable expression.

"Really?" she managed, unsure what Roy's wife was trying to tell her.

Evelyn nodded slowly. "He took on more and more students, more course sections, added more sessions for the group lessons and the small choirs he directed. Worked himself almost to exhaustion." She paused, sighed, and went on. "Searching, always searching and hoping to find another student as special as she was. I know he had hoped it would be you, but you quit singing, and he..." She sighed again, running a hand slowly over her face. "He just wanted to make it right. To redeem himself."

Kate sucked in a painful breath. "My mom... what happened... it wasn't his fault," she managed, and Evelyn nodded again, then shook her head ruefully.

"I must have told him that a hundred times. 'You're not responsible for Johanna,' I said. 'She kept it close to the vest. She didn't let anyone see how bad it had gotten, not anyone.'"

Kate closed her eyes, sorrow welling up in her chest once again. It was true: Johanna Beckett's suicide had taken everyone by surprise, even those who knew her best.

"He didn't listen, of course," Evelyn continued softly. "The guilt ate at him, and he worked himself to the bone trying to escape it. But the years went by, and when he decided to start lightening his workload again, I thought, okay, this is good. He's finally come to terms with it, I thought. He's finished mourning and ready to let go."

Kate's eyes opened again, finding Evelyn watching her closely. The older woman's gaze was suddenly piercing.

"I was wrong," Evelyn said. "I didn't realize it, though, not until you came along. Or came back along, I should say." She leaned closer, putting a gentle hand on Kate's forearm. "Honey, when you came back to singing, it was like he came back to life. I realized that he had never really put those feelings aside - he had just given up. Given up on the idea of ever again finding a student as special as your mother."

"Oh," Kate gasped out, her vision suddenly blurry. Evelyn's hand lifted to touch Kate's face, and she realized that her cheeks were wet.

"These last few months, since he started coaching you, he's been so happy," Evelyn murmured, dropping her hand to Kate's arm again. "Happier than I think I've seen him in so many years. He felt like he had been given a second chance, a chance to make things right." She paused, and huffed a small laugh. "He talks about you all the damn time, did you know that?"

"No," Kate denied, sniffling, wiping at her eyes with her fingers. Evelyn reached over to grab a tissue from the box on the nearby side table, and Kate accepted it gratefully. "He's very... he's hard to read. You know? He doesn't show much emotion in our sessions. Doesn't give a lot of praise."

"It's not his way," Evelyn agreed with a nod. "But Kate... you should know that he's so very proud of you. Seeing you sing again, helping you develop your voice and restart your career, it's been... It's like he's finally healing at last."

A small sob escaped Kate's throat at that. "Me too," she could only whisper, and Evelyn leaned closer and hugged her, both of their faces shining and damp with tears.

* * *

The pounding bass line of the music playing in the club made conversation nearly impossible, for which Castle was glad. He moved through the crowd of familiar faces, exchanging smiles and shoulder-thumps and fist-bumps, but the noise made a convenient excuse to keep moving, not stop and get caught up in any serious socializing. He just wasn't in the mood.

He wasn't at all sure that coming to the bar with the crew had been the right thing to do tonight. But when the opera had ended - to the enthusiastic response of the audience, as always - the other performers' exuberance had swayed him. The rush of post-performance adrenaline was hard to resist. So, after making an appearance at the stage door to greet his fans and sign autographs for a few minutes, he had accepted the offer to share a taxi with a few of the stagehands, and now here he was - physically, at least, even if his mind was mostly elsewhere.

He made his way over to the bar and ordered a beer, but after a few sips he abandoned it on the bartop. He wasn't really in the mood to drink either.

He couldn't stop thinking about Kate, and about Roy. He knew how close they had become over the months since they started working together, and Kate's worry had been obvious in her voice. Hell, Castle himself had grown to like and admire Montgomery, taciturn though he was. If Roy's condition was really bad...

"Castle! Hey!"

He looked up, startled, as Greg Garland slid onto the stool beside him. "Got a minute?" the baritone asked, signaling the bartender for a drink.

"Well..." said Castle, reclaiming his own beer and taking another swig while he debated how to respond.

"I wanted to-" Greg began, but suddenly Don, the _Storm Surge_ assistant director, appeared out of the crowd and slung his arms around both of their necks.

"Come on!" Don bellowed, his face flushed, the alcohol making him boisterous. "It's Anderson's birthday, we're drinking a toast over there!" He gestured toward the corner of the room, where much of the Storm crew and some of the cast had gathered.

"Be right there," Castle promised, forcing a grin. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Greg making an odd face - it looked equal parts frustrated and anguished - but by the time Castle had set down his beer again and turned back, Greg was gone, making his way out through the crowd.

Castle reluctantly went over to join the group, and when they all burst out singing "Happy Birthday," he added his voice to the chorus, plastering on a fake smile. But as soon as the song was done, he quietly slipped out.

When he emerged onto the sidewalk, the comparative quiet of the New York evening made his ears ring. The day's oppressive heat had faded, and it was pleasant now, cool and clear, a hint of autumn in the air.

Castle hailed a cab and, before he could second-guess himself yet again, directed the cabbie to take him to the hospital.

* * *

 _Thank you all for your enthusiasm for this story! :)_


	3. Chapter 3

_Music comes from the heart and returns to the heart._  
-Leopold Stokowski

* * *

Stepping out of the elevator on the cardiac floor, Castle found it quiet and subdued. Visiting hours had ended, so the hallways were mostly empty except for the occasional nurse or orderly going by. At the end of the corridor, in a small waiting area, he found his girlfriend sitting alone, staring down at a crumpled piece of tissue in her hands.

"Kate?"

Her head jerked up in surprise at his voice. "Rick?"

He paused, awkward, wondering whether she was still angry - whether she even wanted him here at all. But in another moment she had jumped up from her chair and flung herself into his arms, removing all doubt. His arms immediately rose to wrap around her, holding her close, and he felt her body shuddering as she let out a long exhale.

He knew that she was upset, and maybe this didn't even mean anything... but nevertheless, relief flooded through him in a rush, making him feel almost light-headed. It was so good just to see Kate again, to hold her.

"You came," she mumbled against his chest, clinging to him tightly.

"Of course," he answered, his voice thready, strangled with emotion. "Of course I did."

He pulled back slightly, ducking his head down to look at her face. Her eyes were swollen and red from crying, and she looked tired - exhausted. "Any change?" he asked, although he wasn't surprised when she shook her head.

"No." She waved her hand toward the empty waiting room. "The family went home... I told Evelyn I'd stay so she could go check on the kids, put them to bed." She paused, and then spoke quietly, looking into his eyes with furrowed brow. "Listen... I'm sorry I overreacted and-"

"No, no." He interrupted her quickly, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I'm the one who should apologize. I was really insensitive. I'm sorry."

Kate let out another slow breath and pressed her face to his chest again, her body slumping against his. He felt her murmuring words into his shirt, but couldn't make them out.

Before he had a chance to ask, he heard footsteps and turned his head to see Evelyn Montgomery approaching. "Oh... hi, Rick," she said with a tired smile as Kate lifted her head again. "Kate, you should go home, honey. You look exhausted."

"Me?" Kate exclaimed, shaking her head. "But you-"

"No, no. I'll be fine," Evelyn insisted. "Listen, nothing more is going to happen tonight anyway. We'll know more in the morning, and I'll call you when I have an update, okay?"

"Well..." Kate hesitated, but Castle could see that Evelyn was right; his girlfriend was worn out, probably from the stress of worrying about Roy.

"Come on, I'll take you home," he urged softly, drawing a smile to Evelyn's lips.

"Thank you," the older woman said, hugging them each in turn.

"If you need anything..." Castle said as they turned toward the exit. Evelyn shook her head and gave him another smile.

"I'll be okay. Good night."

In the taxi, Kate slumped against Castle again, her eyes closed. He curled his arm around her shoulder and kept quiet until they reached her apartment.

"Have you even eaten anything?" he prompted softly, once she had unlocked the door and let them in. "Kate?"

"I had lunch," she said vaguely, kicking off her shoes. "I need to change."

While Kate was in the bathroom, Castle opened the drawer where she kept her takeout menus. He selected the Chinese restaurant that was closest, and called to order a few of her favorite dishes.

When she emerged, wearing light leggings and a sleep tee, she went directly to him again and put her arms around his waist, pressing herself close. "Thanks for coming to get me," she mumbled.

"Any time."

"How was the show?"

He smiled into her hair. "I think it went well. I held my own."

"Good," she sighed as he tugged her down onto the sofa with him. She curled against him, her body soft and pliable with weariness. He nudged her lightly.

"Hey, don't fall asleep yet, sweetheart. You still have to eat something."

"Not hungry."

"Bull," he responded, and that got her attention. She sat up straighter, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Excuse me?" she snipped, and although it lacked her usual fire, it made him smile nevertheless. There was the Beckett he knew and loved.

"Come on," he said, deliberately adopting the know-it-all tone that he knew she couldn't stand. "You haven't eaten since lunch, so you must be hungry. Obviously."

"Oh, obviously," she retorted, but the corners of her mouth were twitching. Fortunately, just then a knock at the door signaled the arrival of the Chinese food.

After Castle had paid the delivery boy and gotten Kate settled in at her kitchen table with a pile of food, he ducked into the bathroom to clean himself up. He felt better after a quick shower to wash away the sweat of the evening's performance and the hot summer day. He put on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt that he kept in Beckett's room, and padded back out to the kitchen to find her half nodding off over the General Gao's chicken.

"Kate," he called softly, and her head jerked up, her fingers automatically tightening around the chopsticks.

"I'm awake. I'm awake," she insisted, pushing another bite into her mouth.

"Mostly, anyway," he teased, taking the seat across from her. He helped himself to some of the food, a little surprised at how hungry he suddenly felt.

They ate in silence for a few moments, and it was Kate who broke the quiet at last, pushing her plate away.

"Rick," she murmured, staring at the table. "I'm really sorry for... the things I said. The way I reacted - overreacted."

"No, no," he denied. He put down his chopsticks and slid his hand across the table, palm up. "Kate."

She looked at his hand, and slowly slipped her own hand into his, still not looking up.

"Your reaction was... totally understandable," Castle said. "I should have been more sensitive about that damn article. I've just... gotten so used to ignoring that kind of thing, but I should have considered how it felt from your side."

"I need to grow a thicker skin," she mumbled toward the tabletop. "That's what you were trying to say."

"Well... yeah," he admitted, "but that doesn't happen overnight. It's a process. And I didn't have to be such a jerk about it. I'm sorry."

Kate squeezed his hand and finally, finally lifted her head to meet his eyes. "I really missed you," she said softly.

Castle took in a breath, feeling something loosen behind his ribcage, a warm rush of relief. "I missed you too."

He lifted halfway out of his chair, leaning across the table to press his lips to Kate's. She let out a soft whimper as their mouths met, and her hand rose to the back of his neck, holding him in place as she kissed him back.

But he could feel how tired she was, even in her kiss, so after a moment he pulled back, cupping her cheek in his palm. "Come on, sweetheart, you need to get to bed," he urged.

Kate's lashes dropped in a slow blink. "Long day," she sighed.

"Yeah. No, let me," he added, as she rose and moved to start packing up the leftover food. "It's fine."

"Thanks, babe," she said, and went off to brush her teeth.

Castle put the leftovers in the fridge, rinsed the few dishes, and by the time he got to the bedroom, Kate was already falling into bed, her limbs slow and clumsy with exhaustion. But she caught at his wrist as he was moving past her toward the bathroom.

"Are you staying?" she slurred, her eyes blinking hopefully up at him.

"If you want," he smiled, smoothing her hair back from her face. She nodded, releasing his hand and sinking down onto her pillow.

"Always," she sighed.

By the time he had washed up, she was out like a light. He slid carefully under the covers and molded his body to hers, delighting in the feel of her skin, the way her curves fit against him like they had been made for each other. He closed his eyes, breathed in the scent of her lotion, and was asleep within moments.

* * *

Kate startled awake to the sound of her ringtone chirping insistently from her phone, which vibrated across her nightstand until she reached out and grabbed it, glancing at the clock before she looked at the phone's screen. It was just past 6 A.M., half an hour before her alarm would have gone off. Evelyn Montgomery's name showed on the screen of her phone.

Swiping to accept the call, Kate breathed a quiet "Hello?" as she swiftly slipped out of her bed and into the hall, hoping not to disturb Castle's sleep.

"Hi, Kate, it's Evelyn," came the voice through the phone. "I hope I didn't wake you."

"No, no, I was up," Kate lied, pushing her bedroom door mostly shut. Through the crack she had left, she could see Castle sprawled on his stomach, his face mashed into the pillow. Her lips curved in an involuntary smile at the sight, her chest fluttering almost painfully. "What's going on?" she added belatedly. "How's Roy?"

"He's doing much better this morning," Evelyn said, sounding weary but less tense than she had yesterday. "In fact, it sounds like he might even be able to go home later today."

"Oh, that's so good to hear," Kate exclaimed in relief. "Does that mean it wasn't a stroke after all?"

"Not exactly," Evelyn replied. "They're calling it a TIA - transient ischemic attack. It's kind of like a mini-stroke, but he had several of them in a row, which is why it took so long to diagnose." She paused, and Kate could hear someone saying something in the background. "No," Evelyn said, her voice muffled as if she had put a hand over the phone's mouthpiece. "No, I'm not going to - for heaven's sake, Roy." Her voice came back, clear again. "Kate, Roy wants me to tell you that he'll be fine for your lesson tomorrow, but obviously that's ridiculous."

"No, of course," Kate agreed, shaking her head. "We can reschedule it once he gets home. I'll call and talk to him later, okay?"

"Sure, honey. We'll text you when he's settled."

"Thanks." Kate hesitated for a moment, debating whether to ask again about the mysterious message Roy had left for her the day before. But the moment didn't seem right, and she didn't want to add any more stress onto either Roy's or Evelyn's plates. "Give him my love," was all she said, and they ended the call.

Castle was still sleeping as Kate washed up, dressed, and went to the kitchen. She started the coffee pot brewing and opened the fridge and cabinets to see what she had. There wasn't much to make a breakfast out of, but she had eggs and a little bit of cheese, and on the countertop there was a fairly fresh loaf of bread and a few slightly overripe apples and bananas; that would do.

She already felt so much better than she had last night; it was amazing what a difference could be made by sleep, good news about her mentor, and making up with her boyfriend.

By the time Castle emerged, adorably rumpled and grumbling like a bear awakened from hibernation, the coffee was brewed and the eggs were scrambled. "Morning," Kate said, amused, as he lumbered over to the counter and gulped down half a cup of coffee in a single swallow.

"Mm," he answered, scowling briefly at the cup, then pouring the rest of it down his throat. "Morning," he said belatedly, putting the cup down and coming for her.

She let out a squeak of surprise as his arm curved around her waist, still a little clumsy from sleep, pulling her in for a deep kiss. The taste of the coffee was heavy on his tongue, and the scruff on his face tickled her cheeks until she pushed him away, patting his chest affectionately.

"Breakfast, babe." She nudged him toward the table, where she had already set out the plates, the buttered toast, and the sliced fruit. Castle thudded heavily into his chair as she dished out the scrambled eggs.

"Thanks," he said, giving her his lopsided smile, the one that went straight to the pit of her stomach.

"You're welcome," she replied, unable to hold back her answering smile. She poured more coffee for both of them and took her seat.

A few bites into the meal, Castle roused enough to ask, "Did I hear the phone?"

"Yeah." She smiled happily across the table at him. "Roy's doing better. They might let him go home later today."

"Awesome." He beamed back at her. "That's great news."

"Yeah." Kate ducked her head, suddenly feeling nervous. "So, um, are there still auditions today?"

She lifted her eyes in time to see Castle's face light up. "Yeah! Yes. Of course," he exclaimed. "We're starting on Cynthia today. You should definitely come hear them." He paused, and added, "I mean, if you still want to."

"Only if you want me to," she countered, pushing eggs around on her plate.

"Well, I'll think about it," Castle mused, but his eyes were twinkling. Kate couldn't help it; she burst out laughing.

"Jerk," she chuckled, and he grinned back at her as she returned her attention to the food.

After breakfast, Kate washed the dishes while Castle made another pot of coffee and poured for both of them.

"I need to check in on Alexis," he commented as he added cream to both of the cups and sugar to his. "But if the sleepover went as usual, she's probably not even awake yet. I can call her later."

"Okay," Kate nodded. "Auditions start at ten, right? So we've got plenty of time." Then she gave a little gasp as a thought struck her. "Oh, Castle! I forgot to tell you about my new gig."

Castle's eyebrows went up, his eyes alight with interest. "Ooh, the thing you were being so mysterious about the other day?"

"Yeah." She bit her lip, but couldn't hold back the smile. "I didn't want to say anything until I was sure, but... you know your friend the mayor is planning a huge celebration for the governor's 50th birthday?"

"Right, sure," Castle nodded. "The whole thing is totally shrouded in secrecy, but I know there's some kind of concert being planned."

"There is," she confirmed. "Somehow the mayor found out that the governor's favorite piece of music is _Carmina Burana_. So they're putting together a performance of it, and they asked me to do the soprano solos."

Castle's jaw dropped. "Wow, Kate. That's so awesome."

"Thanks," she murmured, her cheeks heating up.

"And Roy agreed to it? He didn't think it was too much for you to take on?"

"Nope." Kate shook her head. "The solos are all difficult but short, so he thought it would be perfect."

"That's so cool." Castle paused, his eyes unfocusing as he thought about the music. "I love _Carmina Burana_. It's so melodramatic. All that florid Latin, so grandiose, and it's all about drinking and gambling and sex."

"It's right up your alley," she agreed, grinning.

"You tease, but it's a great piece. I can't wait to... Ooh!" His eyes went wide as a look of delight spread across his face. "So you're going to be singing that solo where the soprano basically has an orgasm on stage?"

"What?" Kate exclaimed, gaping at him.

"Well, she does, right?" He smirked, shifting closer to her, lowering his voice. "Isn't it called _Dulcissime_ , which means sweetest?"

"Yeah..." Kate blushed, pressed a hand to her overheated cheek. "I hadn't really thought about it that way, but I guess it does sound a little bit like..."

"It totally sounds like that," Castle grinned. "What does it go up to, a high D? Her lover must be very talented."

"Castle," she groaned, torn between amusement and mortification. "Now I won't be able to think of it any other way."

"You're welcome," he murmured huskily. "Hey, Kate." She looked up, realizing that he had somehow moved even closer, putting himself right inside her personal space while she wasn't looking.

"Yeah?" she asked, suddenly a little breathless at the nearness of Castle, the heat of his body reaching out for hers, the deep blue of his eyes twinkling at her.

"I could help you practice getting up to high D," he rasped, waggling his eyebrows. Kate couldn't help laughing, and then his arm slid around her waist and pulled her right up against him. Her laughter dissolved into a moan as he lowered his mouth to hers.

"Rick," she whimpered, wrapping her arms around his neck. He grinned against her mouth and moved lower, painting a line of hot wet kisses along her jawline.

"Right on pitch," he said, his voice rumbling against her chest. "Just one more octave to go."

Kate dug her fingers into his hair, tugging his mouth back up to hers. "Bed," she whispered against his lips. "Now."

* * *

Sweat cooled pleasantly on Castle's skin as he lay next to Kate on her bed, studying her. She was on her stomach, her cheek pressed into the mattress, her shoulders rising and falling rhythmically as her breathing slowly evened out.

"Why are you creepy-staring?" she asked without opening her eyes. He smiled slightly, taking in the curve of her chin, the strands of hair sticking to her temple, the slash of her cheekbone. Something about the ways that the contours of Kate's face fit together was making him hear new melodies, see new lines of musical notes on the staff paper of his imagination.

But he didn't know how to say any of that, so instead he just asked quietly, "Are we okay?"

Kate's eyes did open at that, a flash of surprise briefly animating her face. She looked into his eyes, then away.

"Yeah," she said after a moment. "We're okay."

"But?" he prompted.

"But nothing," she insisted, lifting a hand to his cheek. Her fingers skimmed along his temple, dusted over his forehead, brushed back the fall of hair that threatened to flop into his eyes. "It's just that… when I see people wondering what you see in me, why you're with me, I just... can't help wondering the same thing."

"Kate," he started, but she wasn't done.

"When we were fighting," she said on a sigh, "you said that we're from different worlds. And that got me thinking about us." She pulled her hand back from his face, rolling over onto her side so that she could look fully at him. "You're, like, this world-famous superstar composer, and I'm just this confused ex-violinist, and... and we're in this relationship that makes no sense on paper. And... I'm just not good at relationships, Castle."

"I know," he told her gently, reaching out to reclaim her hand, bringing it to his lips. He brushed a soft kiss across the knuckles. "Kate, we talked about this, remember? At the Hamptons?"

"Of course I remember," she murmured, the corners of her lips twitching with a barely repressed smile.

It could be hard to find time to get away with professional lives as busy as theirs, but at the beginning of the summer they had managed to carve out a weekend at Castle's house in the Hamptons. In between wave-jumping and shell-collecting on the beach, swimming in the pool and roasting marshmallows over the firepit, relaxing in the hot tub and making love throughout the house, they had done a lot of talking. Their relationship had already been six months old by then, but somehow that weekend felt to Castle like a milestone - the point when it solidified into something deep. Something really, truly serious.

"I know you put up a lot of walls when your mom died," Castle said. "And you warned me - you did - that you haven't had much luck with relationships since then. I believe your exact words were 'I don't know what the hell I'm doing here.'"

She huffed at that, averting her eyes, lashes sweeping down for a long moment to hide her self-consciousness. Castle watched her for a long moment, just breathing in her presence and the things she had said. He'd had no idea that she was thinking along these lines, but he was determined to set her worries to rest.

"But Kate," he went on, softly but insistently, "like I told you, I'm willing to work on it. I can be patient. And those walls are crumbling little by little, all the time. Aren't they?"

He kissed the back of her hand again as she took in a breath and returned her gaze to his.

"Yeah," she admitted on a whisper. "You know they are."

"Yeah," he echoed, smiling. "And listen, when I said two different worlds I didn't mean – I was just trying to say that we have different perspectives on the tabloid stuff." He shifted closer, still holding her hand in his, pressing them both against his heart. "We're different people, and that's okay," he said. "And so what if we don't make sense on paper? We're not living our lives on paper. If we did, we'd never be surprised. And goodness knows our relationship is a surprise to a whole lot of people."

Kate laughed softly at that, biting her lip in that way he loved, and he saw some indefinable tension melt off of her face, her eyes softening as they roamed his face.

"I love you so much," she breathed. The words made his heart leap in a way that he thought he would never get tired of.

"I love you too." He leaned closer, and she met his kiss with fervor.

"How much time do we have?" he mumbled against her lips, enjoying the way her chest vibrated against his when she chuckled.

"Enough," she replied, and pulled him on top of her.

* * *

Castle called Alexis from the taxi, and Kate sat quietly beside him, watching his face as he talked to his daughter. Her chest swelled with affection, seeing the way his eyes softened and his whole face melted into a smile as he listened to Alexis telling him about her sleepover.

He was such a good dad - such a good man. He was so much more than the frivolous playboy that the tabloids and gossip rags made him out to be.

She wanted to believe that she was good enough for him. She had never felt this way about a man before, and, much as it scared her, it was also exhilarating. Until their conversation this morning, she hadn't really put it all together, but now she realized that part of her anxiety was based on how badly she wanted the relationship to work. After just a couple of days of being apart, she wanted it more than ever.

It might be a struggle to open herself up enough, but she was determined to give it her best shot.

Castle finished up the conversation just as the taxi pulled to the curb outside the theater. "Okay, have a good day, pumpkin," he was saying as Kate paid the driver. "Yeah, I'll see you later. Love you too. Bye."

"Sounds like the sleepover went well," Kate commented as they climbed out of the cab and walked toward the theater entrance. Castle took her hand with a casual ease that made her heart flutter, his wide fingers closing securely around hers.

"Yeah," he agreed, nodding to the few people already milling around in the lobby. "They did all the usual stuff - watched a movie, painted their toenails, drank hot cocoa."

"Talked about boys," Kate added, nudging his shoulder teasingly. Castle scoffed, shooting her a faux-outraged look.

"That's crazy talk, Beckett. My daughter isn't interested in discussing boys. She's just a child."

"She's sixteen!" Kate exclaimed, laughing. "Of course she's interested. But hey, don't worry about it, babe. You should be grateful if talking is all they did last night."

She had to laugh again at the way his eyes widened in horror. "Beckett. Why would you - Wait," he declared, squeezing her hand, lifting an eyebrow. "Do you have incredibly naughty sleepover stories to share?"

"Not in the middle of the Regal Playhouse lobby," she snickered, enjoying the gleeful sparkle in his eyes.

"Oh, we are so coming back to this topic of conversation later."

"Castle!" called a voice, and Geoffrey Rockefeller approached them, accompanied by his wife and co-producer, Alice. "Ready to get started?" Geoffrey asked, his eyes falling on Kate. "Ahh, Kate, good morning."

"Morning," Kate replied, nodding and smiling to the couple.

"Good morning," Castle echoed, shaking their hands. "Is everyone excited? I hope everyone's excited." He beamed cheerfully at them all.

Kate shared a grin with Alice. "I can't speak for everyone," the older woman said with a wink, "but there's certainly a lot of enthusiasm."

"The candidates for Cynthia are here," Geoffrey picked up, gesturing to the far end of the lobby, where a line of grey-haired women was forming. "That'll take up the morning, and then in the afternoon we have four callbacks each for Nikki and Rook."

"You know, it's unusual to still have the leads uncast this late in the process," Alice said to Kate as the four of them moved toward the theater's main doors. "But Castle is so insistent on wanting to find fresh voices. And of course, it's never hard for him to secure funding," she added easily.

"It was nice of you and Geoffrey to put your faith in him," Kate replied with lifted eyebrows. She didn't know much about the logistics and economics of Broadway, but she did know that it was rare for investors to sink their money into an unproven show without stars in the cast.

"Nice?" Alice chuckled lightly. "Hardly, my dear. A sound investment, that's what I'd call it. As soon as Castle told us the plot of your story - Nikki's story, that is - and demoed the first few songs, we knew that _Heat Wave_ was going to be big."

Kate didn't know what to say to that. The other woman's calm confidence amazed her, but of course, that was all because of Castle. Not only did he have an incredible talent for creating music, he also had the charisma to back it up. It was no wonder that his financial backers, like his fans, were so loyal.

Kate followed the others down the aisle to the seats that had been set up for them just in front of the stage. Onstage, the accompanist and a stagehand were pushing the piano into place. As Kate and the others took their seats, Carol Harcourt, the director, emerged from the wings and came over to join them, followed by her assistant.

"Good morning, everyone," she said, shaking hands all around. "Kate, nice to see you. If everyone's ready, we'll jump right into it."

Carol looked around, getting nods from all of them, and turned to give her assistant a nod of her own. He consulted his clipboard and moved offstage to get the first applicant. The accompanist pushed her stool into place behind the piano, sat down, and looked alert.

"Settle in," Castle whispered to Kate, passing her a blank notebook and pencil. "This could take a while."


	4. Chapter 4

_When I hear music I fear no danger, I am invulnerable, I see no foe._  
\- Henry David Thoreau

* * *

"Okay, everyone, let's break for lunch," Carol called a few hours later, drawing sighs of relief from multiple throats. Onstage, the accompanist stood up and began to stretch as Carol's assistant escorted the last applicant toward the wings.

"Good bunch there," Geoffrey commented to Castle, who nodded agreement, studying the notes he had taken.

"Yeah," he said, "it could be a tough choice when it comes down to it."

"See you all back here in an hour and a half?" Carol said, and they all assented as they gathered up their belongings and headed for the exit.

"I had no idea that just listening to auditions could be so tiring," Kate confessed to Castle as they walked up the aisle. He glanced sideways at her, a little concerned, but her expression was calm.

"It can be," he replied, reaching to push the door open for her. "Especially in the first round, but when we-" He broke off as they emerged into the lobby and saw a familiar face approaching.

"Castle!"

"Greg?" he said, surprised. "What are you doing here?" Confused, he flipped mentally through the schedule for the rest of the day; there wasn't a bass or baritone part on the audition list for today, so why would Greg be here?

"I was hoping to catch up with you," Greg said, his voice low and lightly tinged with urgency. "It's important." Belatedly, he noticed Kate standing by Castle's side and held out his hand. "Hi, Kate. Greg Garland."

"Of course," Kate said, looking as surprised as Castle felt, as she shook Greg's hand. "Are you auditioning today?"

"No, no." Greg waved that off. "I just, uh, I need to talk to Castle about something."

"Oh, right," Castle exclaimed, suddenly remembering Greg's attempts to get his attention yesterday both before and after the show. "You were trying to say something last night, weren't you?"

"Yeah," Greg agreed, pursing his lips. Castle could feel the other man's tension, could see how much effort it was costing him to appear calm. Whatever was going on, it clearly had Greg rattled.

"Well, we're just going to lunch, but if you'd like to join us...?" Castle asked hesitantly, raising his eyebrows at Kate in silent question, hoping she didn't mind him issuing the invitation. She raised her eyebrows back and gave a tiny shrug. He could see that she was as curious as he was about what was going on with Greg.

"That sounds great. Sure," Greg agreed. "Sorry to, uh, butt in on your-"

"It's no problem," Kate told him, flashing her dazzling smile. While Greg was momentarily stunned into speechlessness, she took his arm and steered him gently but firmly toward the exit.

A few minutes later the three of them were installed in a booth at a little Greek place just a block from the theater. Greg was twitchy, jiggling his leg and tapping his fingers on the table while they studied the menu and ordered their lunches. He declined to order anything himself, saying he had already eaten. As soon as the waiter had departed, he stilled, his eyes going to Castle, as if waiting for a sign to start talking.

"So, what's up?" Castle asked, deliberately casual, and Greg nodded jerkily, reaching for the inside pocket of his blazer.

"Right," he said, "uh, well, um. Actually, Kate, it's good that you're here too, because you know the, the folks over at Juilliard."

"What folks?" Kate asked blankly. Greg took in a quick breath and blew it out, shaking his head, apparently at himself.

"Sorry. Let me start over." He pulled an envelope from his pocket and turned it over and over in his hands as he spoke. "You know, I think, Rick, that I used to be full-time faculty over at Juilliard. Vocal technique, music theory. Coaching, all of that." He waved a hand as if to encompass 'all of that.' Then, still worrying at the envelope with his fingers, he added, "I retired from most of it a while ago. Now I just take the roles I want, and keep on a few students. I still teach the occasional master class over at the school, and so forth, so I still sometimes get mail over there."

"Okay," Kate said, sipping her water, and although her demeanor seemed calm, Castle could tell that she was getting impatient with Greg's rambling way of talking. Rick jumped in hastily.

"What's in the envelope, Greg?"

"Right. Uh." Greg opened the envelope and pulled out a single sheet of paper, folded in thirds. From the look of the creases, it had already been unfolded and re-folded a number of times.

Greg opened the paper and slid it across the table so that both Castle and Beckett could see it.

In stark black letters on the white paper, clearly generated by a computer printer, were the words:

 ** _I KNOW WHAT YOU DID  
AND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY_**

Slowly, almost as if pulled by the same string, both Castle and Beckett lifted their eyes from the page to stare at Greg.

"I know," he said, scowling, rolling his eyes, still fidgeting. "It's crazy, ridiculous. Like something out of a bad crime novel, right? So cliché."

"Sure," Kate said, poking at the page with a fingertip, "but that only tells us a little something about the person who sent this. Like, that they've seen too many movies. It doesn't really tell us anything relevant."

"Right," Greg agreed, nodding rapidly. "But see, that's the thing. It says, 'I know what you did,' but I don't know what I did."

Beckett frowned and cocked her head. "What do you mean?"

"I mean-" Greg threw up both hands in exasperation. "I mean I can't think of anything I've done that would make someone so upset as to send something like this." He winced at the look on Beckett's face, turned his gaze to Castle instead, beseeching. "Rick, I'm telling you. I've been wracking my brain since I got this a couple days ago. I just can't come up with anything."

Castle pursed his lips, glancing sideways at Beckett; he couldn't decipher her expression in profile, but he could almost feel the skepticism wafting from her. "Well," he said, drawing the word out as he debated what to say. But Greg saved him the trouble.

"Listen, I'm not pretending to be perfect," the baritone insisted. "I won't sit here and try to tell you I've never had disagreements with people, or that there's no one out there who dislikes me, no one who would tell you stories about this or that crappy thing I did." He leaned forward, his eyes again darting back and forth between their faces, his fingers tapping forcefully on the piece of paper on the table between them. "But this? 'I know what you did' - that implies something terrible that I did that's a secret, that most people don't know about. That I wouldn't want anyone to know about. And I'm telling you, I just can't figure out what it is."

"Okay," Beckett said calmly, giving a decisive nod. Castle looked at her again and saw that some of the suspicion seemed to have gone out of her eyes at Greg's last statement. "Calm down, Greg. We believe you," she said. She didn't look at Castle, keeping her eyes fixed on Greg, but Castle saw, somewhat to his surprise, that she actually meant it. She really did believe what Greg was saying. "But obviously you did something," she went on. "Even if you don't realize it, someone's out there holding a grudge."

"Right. Right." Greg nodded rapidly. "And that's what I was hoping you - both of you - could help with." He paused, took a couple of breaths, as if Kate's admonition to calm down had just registered. "I heard how you two solved that murder last year."

"Oh. Well," Kate said, lowering her head, glancing sideways at Castle. He grimaced, knowing quite well that Kate didn't like to talk about that; she found it embarrassing to admit that the two of them had investigated a case - _poked their noses in_ , as she usually put it - and identified the killer before the police could.

Castle, on the other hand, was usually perfectly happy to brag about their role in solving Annabel Matthews's murder, although he knew it had mostly been a fluke. The urge to toot his own horn was strong, but he saw Kate glaring at him and reined it in. "Yeah, we did, but that was a special case," he hedged.

"I'm not asking you to, to do anything crazy or... I mean, I don't want to inconvenience you," Greg said hastily. "I just thought, you know, an external perspective, someone who could do some discreet asking around and maybe find something out to explain this." He ducked his head, focusing his attention on his hands as he re-folded the sheet of paper and slid it carefully back into the envelope. In a low voice, scowling, he admitted, "It's kind of freaking me out."

Castle's mind was already beginning to turn over the possibilities, but as usual it was Beckett who chimed in with the sensible questions. "Why don't you go to the police?" she asked. "I mean, this kind of sounds like a threat, and maybe they could follow up."

Greg shook his head. "I looked into it," he said. "It's too vague, that's the thing. The phrasing of it. It's not a specific threat or a specific demand, so they wouldn't consider it extortion or blackmail. Especially with no clue who sent it."

"Hmm," Kate said. Her expression was carefully neutral again, but by the tone of her hum and the way she was focused in on Greg, Castle could tell that she was as intrigued as he was. She was just trying a lot harder than him to conceal it.

Castle had taken the envelope from Greg as they spoke, and was examining the writing on the front. In simple block capitals it bore Greg's name, and nothing else. "This was hand-delivered to your mailbox at Juilliard?" Castle asked, turning the envelope over to confirm that the other side was bare. "Whoever sent it didn't even write out the full address, let alone stamp it and send it through the mail. They had to have brought it there themselves."

"Yeah," Greg nodded agreement, taking the envelope back as the waiter arrived with their food. "That's why I figure it has to be someone from the school, someone who knows that I get mail there. I mean, why else bring it there instead of to my apartment?"

"Not exactly conclusive," Kate opined. She dug into her salad, but paused with her fork halfway to her mouth and added, "Still, it's one way to narrow down the pool of possible suspects."

 _Suspects_? Castle decided that it would be the better part of valor to refrain from pointing out that Beckett was apparently already in detective mode. "True," he agreed, keeping his tone neutral. "We'll need a list of names. Maybe your current vocal students, and anyone you would have had contact with the last time you taught there?"

"Colleagues," Kate added as Castle paused to take a bite of his sandwich. "Anyone you worked with when you were there, who still teaches there."

Greg was nodding. "Yeah. Yeah, I can get you those names," he said. "Colleagues. And I only have five students right now - no, four," he amended. "One just moved on to a different teacher, but that was a mutual decision, no hard feelings. I can't imagine any of them doing - But I guess you never know," he interrupted himself, his lips twisting with distress.

"Get us the names," Beckett said, businesslike, "and we'll see what we can do. No promises. And we can't get started until tomorrow, anyway. We're busy the rest of today."

Greg's frown indicated that he wasn't thrilled with that, but he restricted himself to a quick sigh and then nodded again. "Sure. I understand."

"Will anyone be around at Juilliard if we go over there tomorrow?" Castle asked Beckett. "It's Saturday."

"Mm." She sipped her water again before replying, "Classes start on Monday, so I'm guessing some of the faculty will be around. Last-minute prep for the new school year."

"Thank you," Greg said, meeting each of their eyes in turn. "Really. I can't tell you how much I appreciate this."

"Happy to help," Castle said, and Kate, taking another bite of salad, nodded graciously.

"I won't take any more of your time," Greg added. He slid out of the booth and stood, his hands still twitching anxiously. "I'll be in touch."

"I'll see you tonight at the theater," Castle said, half-rising to shake the other man's hand. "Bye."

When Greg had gone, Castle took another bite of his sandwich and chewed thoughtfully, watching Beckett out of the corner of his eye. She continued calmly eating her salad, her expression neutral.

After a few moments, impatience got the best of him and he burst out, "So? What do you think?"

Kate's eyebrows rose slightly and she glanced sideways at him. "Well, there were a lot of good candidates, so it mostly depends on what kind of presence you're looking for in Cynthia."

"What?" He blinked, then huffed with indignation. "I meant about Greg's thing, not the auditions."

"Oh, did you?" she murmured innocently, but he could see the amusement flickering in the corners of her eyes. "It's too soon to speculate about that, Castle. We don't have enough data to form a hypothesis."

"But forming a hypothesis without data is my specialty," he grinned. "A disgruntled fellow teacher is the obvious answer, maybe someone who believes that Greg poached a student from them or, I don't know, ate their lunch from the fridge in the faculty lounge or something. But it could just as easily be a student, or a former student, like the one who just left him. Maybe they felt that he prioritized one of his other students over them, for example. Maybe he said something offensive without even realizing it."

"See, this is exactly what I mean by not enough information," Kate said, shaking her head. "How well do you really know this guy, anyway? What he's really like, offstage? We'll get a better picture of that when we talk to some people who've worked more closely with him."

"I guess you're right," Castle admitted.

"Of course I'm right. Now," she said with a stern glint in her eye, "tell me about the finalists for Nikki and Rook."

* * *

Deep in her own thoughts as they strolled hand-in-hand back toward the theater, Kate almost didn't hear Castle say her name. She had been thinking about the morning's round of auditions.

It was strange enough to read Cynthia's songs in the musical score, or to hear Castle playing them on his piano; but hearing a succession of older women singing them and attempting to act the part had brought the music to life in a much more visceral way.

Kate was just grateful that none of the auditioning sopranos looked very much like her mother. That would make it easier, she hoped, to draw the distinction in her mind between character and reality.

Still, it was going to be weird.

"Kate!" Castle said, squeezing her hand lightly, and she realized that it was the second or third time he'd said it. "Hey. You with me?"

"Yeah! Yes," she said, slightly flustered at being caught zoning out. "Sorry, babe. What were you trying to say?"

"I was just gonna ask you," he said, pretending not to notice her embarrassment, "if you wanted me to call Donna at the Ledger. The editor of Page Six."

"What? What for?" Kate asked, frowning slightly in confusion.

"You know." Castle shrugged, bumping her shoulder lightly with his own. "To tell her they've got us all wrong. That I'm with you because I want to be with you, plain and simple."

Kate blinked slowly, absorbing his meaning. "But... I thought you said that's exactly what you shouldn't do. If you deny something they wrote, it makes them even more sure it's true."

"Yeah, that's been my experience," he agreed. "But if you want me to deny it anyway, I will. You just say the word."

He turned his head toward her, and her insides fluttered sweetly. He had that look in his eyes, the one she never got tired of. The look full of adoration, like he just couldn't hold it back, couldn't keep his famous cool when she was around. She loved that look.

"I..." She had to pause and swallow, her throat clogged with emotion. "God, Castle. I love you so much."

His crooked smile spread across his face, his eyes crinkling with pleasure. "I love you too."

Kate stopped walking, right there on the sidewalk in front of the theater, and slid her arms around her boyfriend's neck. "Don't call them," she murmured against his lips. "Screw it. Let them think what they want."

"You're the boss," he replied, and they were both grinning as their mouths came together in a sweet, slow kiss.

"Hey, you two lovebirds, time to get back to work," Kate heard from behind her, and she pulled away from Castle far enough to look over her shoulder and see Alice and Geoffrey approaching, wearing almost identical expressions of amusement.

"Hey, guys," Kate said weakly, dropping her forehead to Castle's chest in an attempt to hide her flaming cheeks. She felt her boyfriend's sternum rumble with his low chuckle, his hands rubbing lightly up and down her biceps.

"Ready to go on in?" he asked. Kate nodded, disengaging from him and offering Alice a rueful smile.

"This is it," the older woman exclaimed as the four of them proceeded inside the theater together. "We may be about to meet the stars of the show right here, right now."

"Now who's getting excited?" her husband teased, and they all laughed.

The four finalists for the part of Nikki Heat were ready to sing for them once they were all settled. If Kate had thought it was weird to be hearing candidates for a character based on her mother, this was a whole new level. Of course, as she had spent so much time insisting, she was not Nikki Heat; Nikki Heat was not her; but the character was based on her, and it was impossible not to keep that in mind while listening to the altos perform.

The first two candidates sang their prepared arias, and then Carol, the director, asked them each to sight-read one of Nikki's songs from Act I of _Heat Wave_. Having signed a non-disclosure agreement that forbade them to tell anyone anything about the music or story, the two singers made their way through the song. It was a passionate piece in which Detective Nikki Heat asked her boss, Captain Montrose, to let her investigate the murder of a witness in her mother's murder case.

The music started out slow, as Nikki presented her arguments carefully, determined to win over her superior officer with logic. But as she sensed that the captain was resistant to the idea of putting her on the case, the music became more urgent; the tempo increased, the melody modulated into a minor key, and the words began to run into each other, evoking Nikki's desperation to convince her boss.

It was a challenging song, as Kate well knew. She had gone through it with Castle many times while he was doing the final edits on _Heat Wave_ before presenting it to his investors. Kate figured that a few years from now, altos everywhere would be using "The Evidence Is Clear" as their audition song.

The first two singers did reasonably well with it, considering that they had never seen it before. Castle and both of the Rockefellers were nodding, making notes on their pads, but Kate decided to put her notebook down and just listen. After each singer had finished, Kate took a moment to quickly jot down a few words that would remind her later of what her thoughts had been.

Then the third auditioner entered, and it was a familiar face: Chloe Palmer, who had been the alto soloist in the _Messiah_ performance last year, when Kate and Rick first met. Castle had given Kate an overview of the candidates they'd be hearing this afternoon, so she had been expecting Chloe, and gave her a friendly wave as she walked onto the stage.

"Hi, Kate," Chloe greeted with a smile. "How've you been?"

"Great. I didn't know you were interested in doing theater," Kate answered with a question in her voice.

"Oh, well, I do love classical singing; it's my bread-and-butter," Chloe replied, "but musical theater was where I got started, and this part just called to me." She paused, shifting her gaze to Castle and then back to Kate again. "Are you sure this isn't going to be too weird?"

"What do you mean?" Castle asked.

"Well, I know the character is based on you, Kate, and, well..." Chloe gestured at Kate and then at herself. "I mean, you're so tall and skinny... and white... and I'm-"

"Don't get too hung up on the appearance thing," Carol interjected. "It's not a big deal. We're looking for the right voice and personality for the part."

"Yeah," Castle agreed, "looks aren't important. What matters is that you can project the kind of bad-ass attitude that makes Nikki who she is."

"Okay," Chloe said, her face breaking into a smile. "I can do that. Definitely."

"Great. Let's get to it, then," Carol said briskly.

Chloe turned to give her sheet music to the accompanist, and the others shifted in their seats, making themselves more comfortable, preparing their notepads and pencils. Castle was reading something on his phone, and just as Chloe moved into position and indicated that she was ready, Castle leaned over toward Beckett with a strange gleam in his eye.

"Guess what?" he whispered in her ear. "Greg just emailed me that list of colleagues and students that we asked him for."

"Okay. We can look at it later," Kate said, frowning slightly. This didn't seem like the time to be discussing Greg's issue, and she couldn't understand why Castle was bringing it up.

"Yeah, but get this," he hissed insistently, still keeping his voice low. "The student he mentioned, who ditched him recently and got a new teacher? It was Chloe."

* * *

 _Thanks for reading!_


	5. Chapter 5

_Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without._  
-Confucius

* * *

"I'm just saying, it was an opportunity," Castle grumbled. He settled back into the soft leather seat of the town car with a slight scowl, resisting the urge to pout.

"It wasn't the right time," Kate replied. "Chloe was there to audition, and if we talked to her separately, it might look like playing favorites. Come on, babe, you know that."

Castle muttered grouchily under his breath, but she was right, and he did know it. Having gotten the list of names from Greg, he was eager to get started talking to the people on it, trying to unravel the mystery of Greg's blackmail letter; but no, as Kate said, it wouldn't have been appropriate to approach Chloe about it at the audition. They would just have to find another time to talk to her, to find out why she had left Greg for a different vocal coach.

After Chloe's audition, they had heard one more alto, and then the four tenor finalists for the part of Jameson Rook. Castle, Beckett, Carol, and the Rockefellers had all agreed on the latter; the best tenor for the part was Zachary Steele. Castle privately felt that the guy's name was better suited for the star of a soap opera than a rock opera, but the fact remained, he had the right voice and personality for Rook.

As for the big role, the title character, Nikki Heat, they were still undecided. They had narrowed the choices down to two: Chloe Palmer and a more seasoned singer, a tall blonde named Natalie Rhodes. After they'd discussed it for a while, Alice had suggested that they bring Zachary back in and have each of the two alto finalists sight-read one of Nikki and Rook's duets with him. "The chemistry between Nikki and Rook is such a major part of the story," Alice had pointed out, "so we need to make sure that whoever we choose will click with Zachary." All three singers had agreed to come back on Monday.

Castle's head was whirling with possibilities. He always found the casting process exciting - putting faces and voices to the characters he had created, watching the ensemble come together. When he was composing, he pictured the scenes in his mind, but the details of the characters' appearances and body language were fuzzy; now he could picture it all the more clearly, and it was thrilling. He was already looking forward to the rehearsals, and, many months from now, the first full performance of _Heat Wave_.

The buzz of Kate's phone snapped him out of his ruminations, and he focused in on his girlfriend as she pulled her phone out of her purse.

"It's Roy," she said in surprise, and quickly swiped to answer the call. "Hello?"

Rick shifted closer to her on the car's seat, putting his arm around her shoulders. He could just barely hear the tinny sound of Roy Montgomery's voice through the phone's speaker, but he couldn't make out the words.

"Yes, how are you feeling?" Kate asked. Castle watched her forehead crease as she listened to Roy's reply. "No, Roy, that's crazy. You just got out of the hospital. ...Yeah, I know it is, but... Okay. _Okay_ ," she said with a huff, shaking her head. "I'll come, but you've got to take it easy. Rest up tonight. Promise me you will." She listened again, and laughed softly. "I'm sure. All right, see you tomorrow. Bye."

"Let me guess," Castle said as Kate hung up, "he doesn't want to cancel your lesson for tomorrow."

"He's supposed to be resting," Kate sighed. She slipped her phone back into her purse and looked at him, grimacing. "But the first rehearsal for _Carmina Burana_ is on Monday, so there's not much time. I really do need him."

"He's a grown man," Castle pointed out. "If he says he's going to be okay for it, that's on him, not you."

"I know." She nodded, leaning against him in the curve of his arm. "And anyway, he said we should do it at his house, and Evelyn will be there to keep him in line."

"Sounds good." He tilted his head curiously. "Are you going to ask him about that phone message he left yesterday?"

Kate's lips twisted with indecision. "I don't know," she confessed. "I don't want to risk upsetting him again, but it's hard not to be curious."

"Well, you can play it by ear once you see how he's doing tomorrow." Castle glanced out the window as the car pulled up to the curb. "Ah, home sweet home."

The doorman in the lobby of Castle's apartment building greeted them with a smile, which they both returned. Moments later they were in the elevator, headed up toward Castle's loft.

"I have just enough time for dinner before I have to get back downtown to conduct Storm," Castle said as he pulled out his keys. "Do you want to come to the show tonight?"

Kate pulled her lip between her teeth. "I'd love to, babe, but I really need to put in a couple hours of practice before I see Roy." She made a face. "And I need to do some violin warm-ups too. I've got to be in shape for the Haydn recordings with the orchestra in a few weeks."

"Okay. No problem," he said as the elevator door opened and they stepped out. "There are three performances over the weekend, so you'll have plenty of chances."

"I'll definitely come to at least one of them. You know I love watching you conduct," she murmured, her voice dipping low, sparking a pleasant shiver that rippled across his skin. Glancing back over his shoulder, he saw that she was smirking at him, and he couldn't hold back an answering curve of his own lips.

"Yeah, I do," he grinned back.

It was true. Before _Heat Wave_ had taken over all of his attention, Castle had been in the habit of occasionally popping in to _Storm Surge_ for a guest conducting appearance (by prior arrangement with the regular conductor, of course). To the fans, it was like winning the lottery; to Castle, in that period of time when inspiration had deserted him, it had been a good way to boost his spirits and his ego.

When he and Kate got together, he'd taken her to _Storm Surge_ several times, and he became very well aware of just how much she enjoyed watching him conduct. The conductor's dressing room at the back of the theater had been the site of more than one demonstration of that fact.

He met Kate's eyes for a moment, both of their gazes sparkling with enjoyment of the memory, and then he turned to put the key in the lock and enter his loft.

* * *

Kate tried to get her smile under control as she followed Castle into his home. Really, it was a little ridiculous to still be so giddy with desire after three-quarters of a year - and in any case, he didn't have much time before he needed to leave for the show. So as much as she might want to drag him back to his bedroom and pick up where they had left off this morning, she knew that would have to wait.

She paused just inside the doorway, setting her purse on the little table next to the closet, pulling out her phone to check it one more time. Castle continued on through the living room, making a beeline for the kitchen, and she could hear his daughter's voice greeting him from behind the island.

"Hey, Dad!"

"Hi, pumpkin," Kate heard him reply, jovial as he swept the teenager into a hug. As he spun her around, Alexis caught sight of Kate, and the cheerful smile on her face dimmed briefly.

"Oh," the girl said. "And Kate."

"Hi, Alexis," Kate greeted, keeping her tone light. She moved across the open space toward them, giving Alexis a friendly smile. "How was your sleepover?"

"Fine," Alexis replied, her tone flat. Her father released her to move around the island toward the fridge, and Alexis folded her arms across her chest, staring at Kate with a look that bordered on hostile.

Kate blinked and raised her eyebrows, surprised by the cool reception. She and Castle's daughter hadn't managed to spend a whole lot of time together in the first few months after Kate and Rick started dating, but over the summer they'd done a few "girl's nights" and gotten to know each other better. Kate certainly wasn't looking to replace Alexis's mom, but she thought they had formed a rapport.

"I don't have a lot of time for dinner," Castle said, oblivious to the tension with his back to the two women as he opened the fridge door. "I have to get back to the theater for Storm. There's probably something in here that we can heat up, though."

"There's some lasagna from the other night," Alexis said. Then she addressed Kate, in a lower voice. "So, you're back?"

"Yeah..." The question, and the defensive posture that was probably meant to look intimidating, told Kate a lot about what the teenager was thinking. "Listen, Alexis, I can see that you're upset with me, and I get it."

"Do you?" the girl asked, a challenge in her eyes. "Do you know how messed up my dad's been the last few days? Do you even have any idea?"

"Of course I do," Kate answered firmly. "Because I was just as messed up as he was." She saw Alexis blink, startled by the reply, and pressed on. "Look, we both said some stupid things that we shouldn't have said, and we both got mad. But we've talked it out, and we're okay now."

"The lasagna won't take long to microwave," Castle announced from the kitchen, where he had taken out the leftover lasagna, uncovered it, and transferred half of it to a microwave-safe dish. "That okay with you ladies?" He looked up, and belatedly registered the tension in the room. "Something wrong?"

"Lasagna's fine," Kate said calmly.

"Alexis?"

"Of course, Dad," the teenager said, her tone artificially upbeat. "You know I love your lasagna."

"What did I miss?" Castle asked, coming back around the island to look each of them in the eye in turn. "Talk to me."

Kate hesitated, unsure what to say. She thought that Castle had a right to know what his daughter seemed to be thinking, but at the same time, it wasn't her place to tell tales. She didn't want Alexis to feel that Kate was trying to parent her.

Somewhat to her surprise, Alexis spoke up before Kate could decide what to say. "It's no big deal," the teen said, shifting uncomfortably on her feet. "I was just, uh, kind of surprised to see Kate. I thought you two broke up."

"Broke up?" Castle repeated, astonished. "No, no. Not at all, honey. We just had a fight, that's all. But we patched it up." His head came up, his eyes wide and seeking out Kate's, a hint of uncertainty gleaming in his gaze as he was clearly wondering whether he had overstepped with that last statement. Kate flashed him a quick smile and hastened to back him up.

"Exactly. That's what I was just saying," she told him, and felt a pang of guilt at the relief that spread across his face. Was this her? Had she made him doubt her - doubt their relationship - that much?

Alexis looked from one to the other, skeptical. "But you were so miserable, Dad," she said. "I thought-" She stopped herself abruptly and averted her eyes, her whole face flushing bright red. "I made some assumptions," she mumbled toward the floor.

Kate frowned, wondering what Alexis meant by that. But understanding flashed across Castle's face, and he stepped forward to put his arm around his daughter's shoulders.

"Pumpkin," he said quietly, "did you read Page Six?"

"Ohh," Kate breathed to herself, wincing. That explained a lot. God, it hadn't even occurred to her that Castle's daughter might read that awful piece and jump to conclusions about Kate's absence the past few days.

Alexis was still blushing. "I know I'm not supposed to," she said. "But some of my friends were asking about it when we hung out the other day. They showed it to me."

"Look, you know what I always tell you about that stuff," Castle said gently. "People are going to think what they want to think and say what they want to say. All that matters is-"

"That we know the truth," Alexis finished, nodding. "I know, Dad. I shouldn't have even read it." She glanced over at Kate, suddenly timid. "Sorry."

"It's okay," Kate said, feeling almost breathless with relief. The last thing she wanted was for Castle's daughter to question her commitment to the relationship.

"I knew you weren't like all the others," Alexis murmured, almost inaudibly. She disentangled herself from her father and came over to Kate, holding up her arms, with hesitation in her eyes.

Kate moved quickly to wrap the teenager in a hug, and Alexis squeezed her back, giving a quiet sigh. Over the girl's head, Kate made eye contact with Castle, and he nodded, his face soft with affection for both of them.

"We're good?" Kate said as she and Alexis released each other. The girl nodded, smiling, still a little embarrassed.

"Yeah, we're good." She turned back toward her father, raising her eyebrows. "So, about that lasagna," she said brightly.

A few minutes later, the three of them were getting ready to sit down for dinner - Alexis having put together a quick salad while Castle reheated the lasagna and Kate set the table - when the door opened again and Martha Rodgers breezed in on a cloud of jingling jewelry and wafting perfume. "Good evening, darlings!" she chirped, sashaying over toward them. "Oh! Katherine, my dear, you're back among us. How very lovely."

"Hi, Martha." Kate gasped a little as the older woman whisked her into a hug, spinning her around in a circle. "It's nice to see you again too," she laughed.

"Wonderful!" Martha proclaimed. Then she looked over at the table, and raised her eyebrows. "A little early for dinner, isn't it, Richard darling?"

"I have to get to the theater to conduct," Castle explained. "Shall I set you a place, Mother?"

"No need, no need," Martha replied, patting his cheek. "I had a late lunch, and so much to do tonight. Enjoy, dears! Ta-ta!" She swept up the stairs with her customary flourish.

Kate, Alexis, and Castle sat down to eat together. The conversation flowed easily, to Kate's relief; she was alert for any more signs of hesitation in Alexis, but the girl seemed relaxed and cheerful. She had a few more days until school started, and lots of plans with her friends, which she chattered about happily as they ate.

All too soon, Castle looked at his watch and raised his eyebrows, moving to stand up. "Time for me to get going, ladies," he said, gathering up his plate and silverware.

"Just leave it, Dad. I'll get it," Alexis said.

"I'll help," Kate added, and so she and Alexis cleared the table and loaded the dishwasher while Castle went to his bedroom to change.

When everything was cleaned up, Kate went through Castle's study and peeked through the door of his room. "Rick?"

"Come to help me put on my tux?" he asked, smirking, as he emerged from the closet. He already had his pants and dress shoes on, but was bare-chested, the tuxedo shirt in his hand.

"Mm, putting clothes _on_ you is not my favorite activity," Kate purred, running her hands over the warm skin of his torso. He shivered slightly and pulled her in with his free hand, bending his head for a kiss.

"Woman, don't tempt me," he growled against her lips. She grinned, but reluctantly pushed him away.

"Sorry, babe. Don't want to make you late for the show."

"Tease," he grumbled, but he was grinning too. He let her go and began to put the shirt on. "I'll come over after? Let you take it all off?" he asked, shooting her a hopeful puppy-dog look as he did up the buttons.

"Yeah," Kate agreed, biting her lip. "You better."

Still smirking, Castle put on his tuxedo jacket and bow tie, and they went back out to the living room hand-in-hand. Alexis and Martha were just coming down the stairs together, both also dressed for a night out.

"Mother, where are you off to?" Castle asked. "Or do I not want to know?"

"Don't be crass, darling. It's just a party."

"I've heard that one before," he muttered, making Kate snicker. To Alexis, Castle added, "Movie night? Don't stay out too late."

"You know I won't, Dad. I'll probably be home before you."

The four of them rode the elevator down together and then dispersed in different directions for their various activities.

* * *

The Friday night performance of _Storm Surge_ was another resounding success, the appreciative audience demanding a second curtain call, which the cast was only too glad to provide. Afterward, Castle was buzzing with good cheer as he made his way through the crowded lobby, schmoozing with fans and friends.

A familiar face caught his eye, and he turned to greet Carol Harcourt, the _Heat Wave_ director, who was approaching him with a smile.

"Carol! Long time no see," he joked. She laughed tolerantly as they exchanged air-kisses. "Nice of you to come by."

"Well, after spending all week in auditions for a Castle show, what better way to start the weekend than by seeing a Castle show?" she teased, her normally stern expression relaxing into a smile. "I think you've met my wife, Agafia," she added, introducing the woman at her side.

"Yes, of course. Nice to see you," Castle said, shaking Agafia's hand. She nodded and smiled.

"A very good show tonight. I enjoyed it very much," she said in a thick Russian accent.

"Thank you. I'm so glad you liked it."

"I was meaning to ask you, Castle," Carol said, raising her voice slightly to be heard over the chatter and clamor of the post-performance crowd. "What was Greg Garland doing at the theater this morning? Was he thinking of auditioning for _Heat Wave_? Because as you know, we've already filled the main baritone parts."

"Oh," Castle said, surprised. "No, he, uh..." He floundered briefly. "Um, he wanted to discuss another collaboration we're working on," he managed after a moment. There, that wasn't even a lie, he told himself proudly.

"Ah, okay," Carol said. "Good, because he's doing so well as Jones. I couldn't see why he would want to leave that."

"Right, of course." In a blink, it occurred to Castle that this was the perfect opening to start doing a little asking around about Greg. "Speaking of which, Carol, what do you know about Greg?" he asked.

"Not much," she replied, raising her eyebrows. "From what I've heard, he's pretty solid. No major scandals that I've heard about."

"Great. Because, you know, if I'm going to be working more closely with him, wouldn't want any surprises."

The reasoning sounded a little thin to Castle's ears, but Carol seemed to buy it. She nodded, and then she and her wife said their goodbyes and moved off.

Castle did the same, making his way through the slowly emptying lobby toward the rear, feeling the excitement of the investigation begin to take him over. Why hadn't he thought of this sooner? Of course, the theater world was so small in some ways, and people like Carol would have heard a lot of gossip.

Maybe tomorrow he could make some phone calls, talk to a few other influential people he knew. If there was something blackmail-worthy in Greg's past, surely someone would know something about it. And, of course, there was the list of Greg's former colleagues and current students to go through as well.

Castle got to the stage door and stepped out, immediately bombarded by the pop of camera flashes and the shouts of eager fans calling his name. The smile on his face widened. The investigation could wait.

* * *

Kate took the subway home and spent half an hour looking over the scores for the Haydn symphonies. Then she took out her violin, warmed up, and practiced for an hour.

It was a bit unsettling to have the instrument under her chin again, to hear its warm tones resonating in her living room, to be frowning over a new piece and reaching for her pencil to mark up the score. Once, the familiar activity had been soothing, but now it just felt strange. She felt oddly relieved when at last she put her violin away.

After a brief break and a cup of herbal tea, she did her breathing exercises and vocal warmups, and then spent a while sitting at her piano with the _Carmina Burana_ score. The four soprano solos, and one additional movement where the soprano and baritone sang with the choir, were daunting to contemplate, but she felt better after having gone through each one in turn. She knew she would gain even more confidence with the music after her session with Roy tomorrow.

Putting the score away, she did a few more breathing exercises and made another cup of tea. She took the hot mug into her bedroom and undressed, then opened her underwear drawer and poked through it. A wicked curve crept onto her lips as she made her selection, glancing over her shoulder at the clock on her nightstand. It shouldn't be much longer until Castle would be done with his show.

She put on the items she had chosen, then covered them with her thick, fluffy, decidedly unsexy robe. Taking her mug back out to the living room, she settled onto the couch with a book.

She had only been sitting there for a few minutes - reading the same few paragraphs over several times, unable to concentrate - when she heard a key turning in the lock. Her pulse sped up, but she forced herself to sit still, the book still open on her lap.

The door opened and Castle entered, his gaze falling immediately onto Beckett. He was still wearing his tuxedo, and he looked impossibly gorgeous in it. Kate sucked in a breath, feeling the corners of her mouth curving upward again as their eyes met.

"Hey," he said, low and smooth. He pushed the door shut behind him, never taking his eyes off of her.

"Hey yourself," she answered, putting the book aside and rising to her feet. "How was the show?"

"Great. It was great," he said hastily as he closed the distance between them in a few long strides. "How'd your practicing go?"

His arms came around her, pulling her close, and she immediately reached up to undo his bow tie, loosening it from around his neck and letting it fall to the floor. They kissed, brief but hot, full of promise.

"Went fine," she gasped. "God, Castle, you look so hot in that tux."

He chuckled softly. "And you look so hot in this ro-" He tugged open the sash of the robe and stopped in mid-word, his mouth falling open as he caught sight of what was underneath it.

"Surprise," Kate giggled, delighted by the slack-jawed look on her boyfriend's face. "Come on, Castle. You promised I could take this tux off you." She let the robe fall to the floor and grabbed his hand, pulling him swiftly toward the bedroom.

* * *

"I can't stay," Castle sighed reluctantly, quite a while later, as they were once again lying sweaty and breathless on Kate's bed. "Mother didn't say how late she might be out, and Alexis-"

"I know. It's fine," Kate answered. Her head was pillowed on Castle's shoulder, and she traced meaningless patterns across his ribs with her fingertips.

"I'll come back in the morning though?" he suggested. "We should work out a game plan for talking to people at Juilliard."

"Yeah, about that..." Kate tilted her head back to look into his eyes. "I was thinking, it might be better for me to go over there by myself. One person asking around about Greg looks casual, but two people looks kind of like an interrogation. You know?"

Castle felt a twinge of disappointment, but he could see the sense of it. "I guess you're right," he admitted. Then, remembering the insight he'd had at the theater, he added, "Actually, I had a thought too." He told Kate about his conversation with Carol, and his realization that he might know some theater people who might have opinions about Greg. "I can make some calls from home in the morning, before I go to the matinee."

"Divide and conquer," Beckett said, her eyes gleaming. "But remember, babe, Greg asked us to be discreet. If word gets around that you've been asking about him..."

"Don't worry. I'll keep it low-key," he promised. He widened his eyes in protest at her skeptical look. "What? I can be subtle when I want to be."

"Okay, Castle. Whatever you say," she teased. "Anyway, it's a place to start. I think we should save Greg's current students for later. They just aren't as likely suspects as the former colleagues."

"Right," he agreed. "But we should still try to find a way to talk to Chloe, too. Her reasons for changing teachers might be significant."

"Yeah." Beckett nibbled on her lower lip, thinking. "Maybe we can do that together somehow on Sunday. But for tomorrow, I've got the professors and you've got your phone calls. We can meet up for dinner in between the matinee and the night show to compare notes."

"Sounds like a plan." He nudged her over onto her back, rolling on top of her, pinning her down with his body. He kissed her, long and slow, and when her arms and knees came up around him, holding him close, he moved his mouth to her ear and murmured, "Do I have any more clothes in my drawer, or am I going to have to do my walk of shame in the tux?"

He felt Kate's body quivering with mirth underneath him. "I don't know," she answered, and he could hear the smile in her voice. Her fingers combed through his hair, rubbing the back of his neck. "But if you put that tux back on, I might have no choice but to take it off you again."

"Oh, really?" He lifted his head to look at her face, the amusement in her eyes mirroring his own. "I guess that's a risk I'll have to take." He glanced over at the clock. "In a little while," he added. "It's not too late yet." So he kissed her again, letting himself sink down into the warm welcome of her body.

* * *

 _Thank you all for your lovely comments and messages! And a special thanks again to The-KLF for her fabulous assistance and cheerleading! :)_


	6. Chapter 6

_Music is probably the only real magic I have encountered in my life. There's not some trick involved with it. It's pure and it's real. And it moves and it heals and it communicates and does all these incredible things._  
-Tom Petty

* * *

The next morning, when Castle again used his key to let himself into Beckett's apartment, he was greeted by the enthusiastic strains of Carl Orff's masterpiece.

 _Mea mecum ludit!_ shouted the choir. _Mea mecum ludit vir, vir, vir, vir, virginitas, virginitas_.

Juggling two cups of coffee and a paper bag, Castle closed the door behind him and looked around, seeing no sign of his girlfriend. He was about to call her name when she appeared from the direction of the kitchen, a musical score in her hand.

 _Mea me detrudit! Mea me detrudit sim, sim, sim, sim, simplicitas, simplicitas._

"Oh, oh, oh," Kate sang along with the recording. "Totus floreo."

"Just what a guy likes to hear," Castle said, pitching his voice to carry over the music, and laughing softly when Kate gasped, her eyes snapping over to him, wide with startlement.

"I didn't hear you come in," she said, pressing a hand to her chest, her cheeks flushing pink.

"I can see that," he chuckled, moving across the room toward her. His arm snaked around her waist and pulled her in for a quick kiss of greeting.

"This is such a great piece. I think the children's choir just said that they're horny but stupid virgins," he observed, waggling his eyebrows. Kate huffed a laugh and nodded.

"Yep. It's kind of a theme."

 _Veni, veni pulchra! Veni, veni pulchra, iam, iam, iam, iam, iam pereo, iam pereo._

"Coffee," he said belatedly, offering Kate one of the cups. "And your bear claw."

"Thanks, babe." She gave him a soft smile, dropping the score onto the couch so she could take the cup and the paper bag. She took a long sip and sighed with pleasure.

 _Quo pereo!_ the choir concluded, and both Castle and Beckett paused to listen to the soprano soloist begin her next number.

 _Dulcissime!_ she sang, her voice floating up to a high B, which she lingered on for a long moment before beginning a series of descending triplets.

"That leap is really challenging," Castle said, choosing not to comment - this time - on how orgasmic the aria sounded. Kate nodded, her eyes unfocused as she concentrated on the music. After descending to a reasonable register, it climbed again, even higher than before.

"The D isn't the problem," Kate said, putting the coffee down and reaching for her remote control to pause the recording. "It's that leap at the beginning. A ninth, out of thin air, a cappella?" Her eyes were troubled, her forehead drawn down into a frown. "I don't know if I can do it."

"Hey, of course you can," Castle said, surprised. "Come on, you've got perfect pitch anyway, so the interval shouldn't be a problem, and the B is easily in your range. You just need to get in a good deep breath, let the drama of the moment grab you, and off you go."

Kate snorted, shaking her head. "Off I go? You make it sound so easy."

"Not easy for a mere mortal," he replied. "But for you? You've totally got this, Kate."

She cracked a small smile at last, her shoulders relaxing as he watched. "My biggest cheerleader," she said softly. "Thanks."

"Always," he replied immediately, and bent his head to kiss her again. Kate's arms came up around him and she responded, pressing against his body. She tasted like coffee. It was probably a cliché, he thought, but he heard new music every time they kissed.

"Anyway," he said when they parted for breath, "Roy would tell you the same, wouldn't he?"

Kate's eyes clouded again, but she didn't shift out of his embrace as she nodded slowly. "Not in so many words, but yeah. I'm sure he wouldn't have encouraged me to take the job if he didn't think I could do it."

Rick pursed his lips, studying Kate's face. "You're worried about him," he commented, and it wasn't a question.

"I am. Of course." She gave him another quick squeeze before stepping backward, out of his arms. "But he sounded fine on the phone, and I know I'll feel better after I go over there. I just need to see him. Then I can decide how worried I really am."

"Makes sense," Castle murmured, feeling his gaze come unfocused. Something from what Kate had just said was stuck in his brain, tickling with that urgency he knew all too well. He could feel another song brewing, just at the edges of his awareness. And it was going to center around those words, _I just need to see him_...

"Rick. Hey." Kate poked him in the chest. "Come back to earth for one more minute, would you?"

"Sorry," he muttered, patting his pockets absently for a pencil. "Sorry, were you saying something?"

Kate huffed softly. "I was, but I'm not sure you're going to hear any of it, babe. Looks like inspiration just struck out of thin air."

"Not thin air," he denied, snapping out of it long enough to tug her back in for another kiss. "You. Just being around you is all the inspiration I need."

"So corny," Kate groaned, rolling her eyes fondly.

Castle just blinked at her. "Um?" The song was taking shape already, and he couldn't find the words to tell Beckett that he wasn't trying to be corny - that he really meant it. She was the best muse he could ever want.

"Okay, never mind," she said, shaking her head at him. "You've got your phone calls to make - and some writing to do, it looks like - and I'm going over to Juilliard to ask around about Greg."

"Roy's illness is the perfect cover," Castle muttered distractedly, his fingers twitching as he traced out the melody on an air-keyboard. It was low, at least at the beginning: too low for the voice part, making it sound throaty, hoarse. "You can say you're thinking of taking Greg on as your coach until Roy recovers."

Kate stared at him, an odd expression on her face. "That's... actually a pretty good idea, Castle. Huh." She bit her lip. "I'd feel kind of guilty about it, though. If it ever gets back to Roy that I was going around saying I'm going to leave him..."

"Well, you can leave it vague," Castle said, feeling a bit vague himself, his fingers still twitching around the pencil, his brain trying to track the intertwining contours of the melody and accompaniment.

"Do you need to stay here and compose, babe? There's blank staff paper on my piano."

"No, no," he said, blinking, trying to force his attention fully back onto Beckett. The piano in her apartment was perfectly serviceable, but if a true composing haze was going to come over him, he'd rather be at home, with his beloved grand and all of his accoutrements. "I'm okay. I'll go home and do it, make those phone calls. We can compare notes later."

"Okay. Walk me out then," Kate said, putting her hands on his arms and steering him toward the door. "Do you need a piece of staff paper for the cab?"

"No. Well... yes," he decided, and Kate was already there again by his side, having darted across the room to grab a sheet of paper. She picked up her purse and keys from the table by the door, and nudged him out into the hallway.

* * *

The administrative area of Juilliard's Vocal Arts department, where the professors had their offices, was almost completely deserted when Kate arrived; the young woman staffing the front desk barely glanced up from her phone as Kate went by. Kate supposed it wasn't too surprising that the place was so empty and quiet, considering that the school year hadn't started yet and it was Saturday. She just hoped there would be at least a few professors here this morning - preferably including some who could shed some light on Greg's mysterious situation.

Much as Kate hated to admit it, she was indeed very intrigued by the problem Greg had brought to them. The blackmail note, the cryptic accusation - it was a mystery that she was anxious to start unraveling. She knew how gleeful Castle would be if - or when - he realized it, but she couldn't help that. It came with the territory, she supposed.

She had in hand a piece of paper onto which she had copied Greg's list of names - professors who had been teaching at Juilliard when Greg was teaching there full-time. A few of the names were vaguely familiar to Kate, dimly remembered from the days when she had been a student, before her mother's death. At the time, she hadn't paid much attention to any of the other voice teachers aside from Roy, so she couldn't come up with any memories of faces to match with the names on Greg's list.

Roy Montgomery was on the list as well, of course, but Kate had no intention of asking him about Greg. He would undoubtedly want to know why she was asking, and she couldn't think of any good way to answer that question.

Passing on through the lobby, she entered the corridor that held most of the faculty offices. The first two doors were closed, their little inset glass panes showing darkness beyond. But the third office was open, the lights on, and its occupant was present, unpacking a box full of files onto the desk.

The nameplate outside the door read Professor Benjamin Li, a name that wasn't on Greg's list of colleagues, but Kate figured it couldn't hurt to start here. She tapped lightly on the door frame. "Professor Li?"

He looked up, surprised. "Hello. Can I help- Oh. Are you Kate Beckett?"

"Yes," Kate confirmed, stepping into his office and holding out her hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"You too." He shook her hand. "How is Roy? Have you spoken with him?"

It wasn't much of a surprise that he would have heard about Roy's condition. It was a small community, and gossip spread fast.

"I have," Kate said. "He's home from the hospital. I'm going over to, uh, visit him later." It was mostly her own embarrassment that kept her from mentioning that she had a full lesson scheduled - that, and the instinct to shield Roy from the potential disapproval of his peers.

"Ah, good," said Professor Li. "Well, please give him my best."

"I will, thank you." Kate took a breath. "But I actually was hoping to talk to you about Greg Garland."

"Greg?" The professor looked surprised. "What about him?"

"Uh, well, with Roy out of commission, I've been wondering about Greg," Kate said, feeling awkward. The phrasing, which she had decided on in the subway on her way here, skirted the edges of the truth; she wasn't coming right out and saying that she was considering Greg as her teacher, but it was clearly implied. And she still didn't feel good about this misdirection, which was probably why the words came haltingly from her mouth.

Professor Li didn't seem to notice, though. "Oh, I see," he said, nodding thoughtfully. "Yes, well, I'm not sure what help I can be. I only overlapped with Greg for one year here before he left the faculty. He seems nice enough, and he's certainly a talented singer and a competent teacher."

"Okay." Kate moved on to the next question in the sequence that she had decided on during the subway ride to the school. "I heard that Greg lost a student recently. Do you think he's pretty harsh, or hard to get along with?"

"No, no." Li smiled reassuringly. "Don't let a rumor like that scare you off. Students and teachers part ways for all kinds of reasons. I've never found Greg to be that kind of teacher, the kind who terrifies his students into submission." They shared a smile at that. "He seems like a pretty even-tempered person, as far as I know."

"Great, that's good to hear," Kate said. "So you've never known him to get into disagreements with people then? Students, or other teachers, or..."

"Oh, well, there's always some drama around here, and no one is completely immune," Li said with a rueful shrug. "All these personalities, you know. But it always blows over; it's always minor. And nothing comes to mind that involved Greg specifically. But as I said, I didn't have much opportunity to interact with him. Sorry I can't be more help."

"Oh, no, you've been very helpful," Kate assured him. "But since you mention it, is there someone else here who might know him better?"

"Hmm." Li looked past her, out the door of his office. "Anja is here, I see - Frau Georgi. She's been teaching here for many years."

Anja Georgi was on the list Greg had emailed. Kate turned, and saw her in the office directly across the hall - a stout older woman with gray hair up in a severe bun. "Okay, that's great. I'll talk to her too. Thanks."

"Certainly," Li nodded. "There are a few others as well, but I'm not sure who will be in today."

"I'll try to track them down. Thank you so much, Professor," Kate said again.

"You're quite welcome." He shook her hand. "Good luck."

Kate walked across the hall and knocked lightly on the next door. "Frau Georgi?"

"Yes?" The other woman looked up from a musical score she was perusing. "What is it? I am not accepting new students at this time, liebling."

"Oh, no," Kate said quickly, "that's not why I'm here, Professor. I won't take much of your time - I just wanted to ask you about Greg Garland."

"Ahh, Greg." Professor Georgi frowned. "What about him, then?"

"Um." Kate shifted on her feet. The other woman's stern demeanor was making her nervous, causing all of her carefully prepared questions to fly right out of her head. She almost felt like a teenager again, being called on by the teacher, and she hadn't done the reading. "Uh, I was just wondering what your impression is of him," she managed at last. "As a teacher, or a colleague. Or a singer."

"Hmm." The professor returned her gaze to the score laid out in front of her. "I have no problems with Gregory. Is he the perfect colleague, no, but no one is. He is fine," she concluded, her tone very firmly indicating that this was all she had to say.

"Okay. Thank you," Kate said, and fled.

She made her way down the hall, checking names on the doors against those on Greg's list. A few doors down, she found another match: Professor Diana Templeton, who was working on her computer, but pushed the keyboard aside and greeted Kate with a smile and a handshake. The friendly reception was such a relief after speaking to Frau Georgi that Kate was able to get out her questions much more easily.

"Oh, yes, Greg is just lovely," Professor Templeton said. "Such a nice guy, and he's an excellent teacher, from what I've seen."

"Great," Kate said. "What about how he gets along with people? Is he hard to deal with at all? As a colleague?"

"No, no. Not at all," the professor insisted. "Greg's the kind of person everyone likes."

"Have you known him long?"

"Ages," Templeton exclaimed. "He taught here for quite a while, as I'm sure you know." At Kate's nod of confirmation, she went on. "Of course, I've been here even longer. In fact, I'm retiring next year."

"Congratulations," Kate said, and after a few more pleasantries, she moved on.

Next door to Professor Templeton, she found another name from Greg's list: Professor James Martinez, who seemed agitated - "Nothing is where I left it," was the first thing he said when Kate knocked - but recognized Kate and answered her questions readily enough.

"Yes, I know Greg," he said, pacing back and forth, running a hand through his already wildly tousled hair. "Decent guy. Decent teacher." To Kate's carefully worded question about whether Greg was hard to get along with, he shrugged. "No more than any of the other divas in this department." Abruptly he scowled, strode across the small room, and seized a music stand that was tucked into the corner. "Wrong, all wrong. No light on this side. What are you thinking?" he muttered, moving the music stand to the opposite corner. "What a mess."

"Thank you, Professor," Kate tried to jump back in. "So, have you been teaching here for a while?"

"Oh, yes, yes. Fifteen years and some," Professor Martinez said, pausing to shift some papers around on his desk. "Never seen such a mess in my life."

"That's a long time. You must have seen a lot of dramas come and go," Kate prompted.

"Hmm?" Martinez looked at her, blinking, as though surprised to find her still there. "Dramas? Of course, yes, yes. There's always this or that, this or that."

"Did any of them involve Greg?"

"Ah, well, no more than most." He frowned again. "Greg? Nothing much comes to mind. A pretty steady guy." Pausing again, he softened, his expression shifting to a smile as he looked directly at Kate again. "Your mother, on the other hand... she had a bit of the dramatic in her, to be sure. You look so much like her."

Kate was struck momentarily speechless, open-mouthed, by the casual words. Martinez seemed oblivious to the effect he had had on her; he returned to his fretful pacing, straightening and moving things around seemingly at random.

After a moment, Kate recovered enough to say, "Thank you very much, Professor," and move toward the door.

"You're quite welcome," Professor Martinez said, though he was frowning once again. "Where on earth is everything?"

Kate left him to his pacing.

She found the only remaining name on Greg's list - except for Roy Montgomery - on the wall outside an office that was locked, dark and empty. Professor Perla Ortega was clearly not here today, but that was fine with Kate. She was still a bit unsettled by the unexpected invocation of her mother's ghost, here in these halls where Johanna had so often walked.

Anyway, Kate had talked to four professors, which seemed like a good start. And now she had just enough time left to get some lunch before heading over to Roy's house.

She paused to take out a pencil and scribble some notes on her list, checking off the names of the people she had spoken to, and then she left the building and headed for the subway.

* * *

Castle had gone directly to his piano upon getting home, anxious to get to work on the new song. He suspected that his mother and daughter were still asleep upstairs, so he left the top lid of the grand piano closed and tried to play quietly. It was a quiet song, so that wasn't a problem.

He wasn't yet sure what he was going to do with this song - whether it would stand on its own, or go together with other songs yet to be written. If there was to be another Nikki Heat opera - which he also wasn't sure about - it might fit in there. Or maybe not. He didn't know, but for now, he just needed to get the song out onto paper while it was filling his whole head.

He started with the melody, figuring out all of its contours and colors. Some of the lyrics were already there; some would come later. He made some notes on harmonies and chord progressions, then began working out the accompaniment.

He was vaguely aware of movement and voices behind him, but the women left him alone, until suddenly he startled out of his haze at the touch of a hand to his shoulder.

"Dad?"

"Oh, hey," he said, blinking. He felt a little fuzzy, his brain slow to refocus on the real world. "Good morning, pumpkin."

"Morning," Alexis chuckled. "It's almost afternoon, Dad."

"Really?" He looked at his watch. To his surprise, it was indeed just a few minutes before noon. In the background he heard a tinkling laugh from his mother, who was sitting on a kitchen stool with a cup of tea.

"You were really in the zone," Alexis observed. "Here." She gave him a plate, which held a chicken salad sandwich. "You gotta eat. I'm going out with my friends. We're going to hang out and then see another movie later, so I might not see you till after the late show."

"Have fun," he mumbled around a mouthful of sandwich.

"I will. Don't forget there's a matinee today." His daughter kissed his cheek, ruffled his hair, and departed.

"What about you, Mother?" Castle asked, standing up and carrying his plate over to the kitchen island. He set the plate down and took a moment to stretch out his stiff muscles before sitting down beside Martha. "Big plans for the day?"

"Ah, yes, indeed," his mother nodded. "I've been asked to sit in on an acting workshop this afternoon, and then there's a producer who wants to have dinner." She laughed lightly. "Hoping to woo me onto some vanity project, no doubt. But why not hear the man out, while reaping the benefits of his hospitality?"

"Mother," Castle groaned, wincing. She laughed again and patted his knee.

"I meant the food and drink, darling." She winked mischievously. "What on earth else might you have been thinking?"

Castle merely shook his head and took another bite of the sandwich. "So, I take it we shouldn't wait up for you again," he said after he had chewed and swallowed. Martha regarded him keenly, a twinkle in her eye.

"Well, one never knows. But speaking of waiting up, you were out rather late yourself last night, weren't you, Richard? With Katherine, I presume?"

"I'm surprised that you noticed," he teased lightly. "But yes, of course I was with Kate."

"Good, good. I'm so glad you two patched things up," his mother said, turning serious for a moment. "Hold onto that gal, darling. She's good for you."

"I intend to," he replied, matching her tone, letting his sincerity show in his face. Martha smiled and patted his cheek.

"Good boy. Now!" She stood up with a decisive toss of her head. "So much to do, so much to do, darling." She leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Until tomorrow, my dear."

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Castle called after her as she plucked her purse from a side table and sashayed off to the door. She gave another tinkling laugh and waved a hand over her head, departing in a waft of good cheer.

Alone again, Castle finished his sandwich and then went through to his bedroom. After a quick but much-needed shower, he made himself a cup of coffee and settled down at the desk in his study, opening his address book. Earlier, he had brainstormed a list of names, and now he sat for a moment, looking it over, and then reached for his desk phone.

Half an hour later, his throat was sore and he was starting to feel a bit discouraged. He pushed the phone aside and looked over the list of names again.

In deference to Beckett's point about discretion, he'd tried to engage each person in conversation about this and that - mostly by asking them about their summers - before casually dropping Greg's name. As a disarming technique it seemed to be working, but it was also putting quite a strain on his voice, not to mention taking up a lot of time.

Everyone he'd been able to get on the phone had recognized Greg Garland's name, if only vaguely, but no one had come up with anything useful. Some had mentioned this or that minor backstage drama - of the "I heard from a friend of a friend" variety - but nothing that seemed both credible and significant. For the most part, everyone seemed to have the impression of Greg as a steady, reliable kind of guy.

That would be nice if Castle's cover story ("He approached me about a collaboration," which, again, was technically not a lie) had been true; but since he was looking for something blackmail-worthy in Greg's past, it was just annoying.

Grumbling to himself, he got up and made another cup of coffee, checking the time. He had a little while longer before he needed to get over to the theater for the afternoon matinee. He sipped his coffee and debated whether to try calling a few more people, or spend a little more time working on the new song.

In the end, he decided on none of the above. Instead, he collected his tux, packed a few items into his briefcase - including the sheet music for the new song, in case inspiration might strike in a moment of downtime - and headed out.

* * *

 _A/N: Thanks to the folks on Twitter for helping me come up with names for all of the "extra" characters in this and several other chapters. :)_

 _If you'd like to judge for yourself whether Castle's assessment of the Dulcissime aria is accurate, there are many versions on YouTube. You can find my personal favorite by entering "Jennifer Miller Dulcissime" in the search box. The video is called "Totus florio and Dulcissime" and it includes the lusty song, Tempus Est Iocundum, which is quoted at the beginning of this chapter. The aria, Dulcissime, begins at about 2:30 in the video. You might like to know that the lyrics are "Dulcissime, totam tibi subdo me," or "Sweetest one, I give myself to you completely." ;)_

 _Thanks for reading!_


	7. Chapter 7

_At the touch of a lover, everyone becomes a poet._  
-Plato

* * *

Kate tried to keep her expression neutral as she walked into Roy Montgomery's sitting room that afternoon. She was bracing herself, trying not to let her nervousness show, but it turned out to be unnecessary; the moment was anticlimactic. Roy greeted her with a reserved smile and a quiet "Hi, Kate. Come on in," just like always. The main difference was that he didn't stand up to usher her in.

The piano bench had been pushed aside, and Roy was sitting on a dining-room chair in front of the piano, which gave him some back support and armrests. His hands rested lightly on the keyboard, but his head and upper body were turned toward the door, anticipating her entrance.

Evelyn had opened the front door of their home to Kate, welcoming her in with a brief hug and a whispered warning that Roy was "a terrible patient." Having shown Kate to the sitting room, Roy's wife quietly withdrew, leaving them alone.

"Don't look so grim," Roy scolded lightly, motioning with his head to indicate that Kate should come closer. She moved into the room and sat on the piano bench beside Roy's chair, flashing him a smile that felt artificial despite the real feeling behind it.

"It's good to see you," she said, and meant it. "You look good."

He did, in fact, look much better than she had feared. Tired, to be sure - his face was lined with weariness, and his dark skin had a grayish tint to it - but his eyes were lively as always.

"Thank you. I'm fine," he said, his forehead creasing slightly with the beginnings of irritation. He clearly didn't want to talk about his physical condition, and Kate knew that he wouldn't respond well to overblown expressions of concern - _I was so worried_ and _I'm so glad you're okay_ were phrases that ran through her mind, but she bit them back, knowing that they'd only increase Roy's annoyance. He wasn't the type to appreciate being fussed over.

So all she said was "Okay," which was rewarded by a nod.

"You've been studying the score?" Roy asked, his eyes going to the Carmina Burana score that poked out from the top of Kate's shoulder bag. She pulled it out, nodding.

"Of course."

"Panicking?" he added, his keen gaze piercing her. "Having second thoughts?"

Kate fought back the urge to deny it. Roy was too smart for that, damn him. "It's a bit daunting," she admitted.

"Sure it is. It's ridiculous," Roy said easily. "Let's get you warmed up, and then we're going to start with _Stetit puella_."

"Oh," Kate said, a little surprised. "Not _Dulcissime_?"

"Think that's the hardest one, do you?" he asked in his dry way. Kate paused again, recognizing it for a trick question.

"I'm not sure," she hedged. Roy chuckled softly.

"The opening leap is tricky, but it's mostly the high register. If it started off with a low D to E leap, and then that same melody down a fifth, you'd think nothing of it." He waited until Kate nodded thoughtfully, and went on, "But _Stetit puella_ is deceptive. It seems simple, but I tell you right now, you're going to rush the triplets, and you're going to find those fifth leaps tricky - maybe even more so than the ninth."

"I am worried about the triplets," Kate agreed. "Among other things. Like the really long held note in _Amor volat undique_."

"Of course. Of course," Roy nodded. "There's certainly a lot to work on. So let's get started."

Kate put down her score and purse, and stood up to begin her breathing exercises.

* * *

"Mr. Castle, you're here awfully early," said the house manager in surprise when Castle entered the theater. "Something wrong?"

"Nope. Oh, but hey, can you make sure that my private box is ready for the evening show?" Castle clapped the man on the shoulder. "I won't need it for the matinee, but Kate Beckett will be sitting there tonight."

"Of course, sir."

"Thanks."

Leaving the lobby, he pushed through the rear door into the backstage area. It was still quiet at the moment, a little too early yet for the true pre-performance chaos to begin. A few people were around, though, and in an open room at the back he found a group of dancers sitting around and chatting, some of them doing their preliminary stretches on the floor.

They all started to rise when Castle entered, but he waved them back down, shaking his head. "Don't mind me, everyone," he said, flashing his friendliest smile. "I just wanted to check in and say hi." He found an empty chair and sat down, casually crossing his legs. "I haven't been around much lately, kinda lost track of who's in the show these days. So I just thought I'd come around and introduce myself." He leaned forward, holding out his hand toward a dancer he didn't recognize. "Hi. I'm Rick."

The dancers - most of them female - giggled, and the one he had spoken to shook his hand, smiling bashfully. "I'm Shari," she said softly. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Castle."

"My pleasure, Shari. But I told you, the name's Rick." Smiling, he looked around at the other faces, only a few of which were familiar. "Who else haven't I met?"

Within a few minutes he had put them all at ease, each dancer taking a turn to tell Castle their name and a little bit about themselves. When he sensed that they were relaxing, the space no longer humming with low-level tension at his presence, he made his move.

"So," he said nonchalantly, letting a bit of mischief sparkle in his eyes, "is there any good gossip around here? Any juicy scandals going on behind the scenes that I should know about?" While the dancers were glancing around at each other, tentative, no one wanting to be the first to speak, he held up a hand as if in warning. "I should tell you right up front, I already know about Madison and the lighting tech. Who didn't see that coming, right?"

A nervous laugh went around the room, but heads were nodding. "They weren't subtle at all," one person said, drawing more nods of agreement.

"They aren't as bad as Carla and Mickey," another voice added, and there were groans all around.

"Thank god that's over," someone snarked.

"Oh my god, remember that time they-?"

"Oh yeah!" several dancers exclaimed, shaking their heads in dismay.

Castle looked around, his expression bright and curious. "What happened?"

The floodgates opened, and he heard all about various backstages romances and breakups; a stagehands' poker game that had turned nasty; singers' furious arguments in the wings about who had deliberately upstaged whom; and so forth. The stories poured forth easily, but none of them involved Greg.

Castle spent a few more minutes probing, carefully not mentioning any names, but trying to steer the conversation toward the principal performers in the show. But, try as he might, he couldn't elicit anything about Greg. There were mini-scandals and dramas aplenty, but nothing that seemed relevant.

At last, with a reluctant sigh that wasn't at all feigned - he really was enjoying the gossip, even though it wasn't useful - he heaved himself to his feet. "Well, it's been a true pleasure chatting with you all," he said, spreading his smile around the whole group. "Thank you for indulging me. And thanks for being part of this show."

They all clamored their thanks in response, and he shook most of their hands before wandering out.

Backstage was beginning to fill up a bit more, crew members and instrumentalists arriving to begin the work of getting the show ready. Castle tried to stay to the side, out of the way, as he wandered farther back into the depths of the theater.

In another little room to one side, he found a group of chorus members, and began the process again. Armed with the stories the dancers had told, he had no trouble getting a second gossip session started. The singers repeated most of the stories he'd heard, and added a few more; but as before, no one seemed to have anything scandalous to say about Greg.

Castle knew that in some senses this was progress - eliminating avenues of investigation - but it was frustrating nonetheless.

Before he knew it, the singers were being called to get their costumes on and their hair and makeup done, so Castle took his leave, shaking their hands and cheerfully thanking them for indulging him. Everyone was all smiles as he left them to their business and made his way to his dressing room.

* * *

"Good. That was much better that time," Roy said. "But your tempo is dragging a bit in the middle. Let's take it a little faster."

"Roy," said Evelyn from the doorway, startling Kate and Roy out of their complete immersion in the music. "It's time to call it a day."

"Oh," Kate said, looking at her watch, amazed at how the time had flown by. "I'm so sorry. I lost track of time."

Roy scowled, a retort clearly forming on his lips - probably something about how he didn't need to be coddled - but Evelyn headed him off smoothly. "Don't worry about it," she said, giving Kate a reassuring nod. "You're only a little bit over. I'll give you a few more minutes to wrap up." And she withdrew, leaving Roy shaking his head with a rueful smile.

"That woman," he muttered, not quite a complaint. Kate pressed her lips together, holding back her amusement.

"It's nice of her to put up with you," she said blandly, earning a glare. But it only lasted a moment, and then Roy relented, sighing, reaching out to close the _Carmina Burana_ score on his piano's music stand.

"Good progress today," he said, turning in his chair to look up at Kate. "You'll be fine for the first rehearsal. We can meet again on Tuesday as usual."

 _If you're up to it_ , Kate thought, but didn't say. Instead she made a mental note to call Evelyn on Tuesday morning and see how things were going.

"Sounds good," was all she said, as she gathered up her score and water bottle, packing them away into her purse.

She chewed on her lower lip as she was getting her things together. She still hadn't fully decided, but Roy seemed pretty relaxed and calm right now, so...

"Hey, what was that phone call about the other day?" she asked, keeping her tone light and casual. She flicked her gaze over to Roy's face and then back to her purse, forcing her body language to remain loose.

But Roy's expression had closed down in the brief glimpse she got, and she wasn't surprised when he said only, "Oh, that was nothing. Don't worry about it."

Kate tried not to frown. She was pretty sure it wasn't nothing, but pushing him on it didn't seem like the right thing, not when he had just gotten out of the hospital. She bit her lip again and decided, reluctantly, to let it slide. If it were important, she supposed, Roy would bring it up again eventually.

"Okay. See you Tuesday," she said, slinging her purse over her shoulder.

"Break a leg at that rehearsal," he replied, giving her an approving nod. She thanked him, gave his shoulder a quick squeeze, and left.

* * *

The matinee performance went off without a hitch. Somewhat to his surprise, Castle was finding himself enjoying this short foray back into the world of Derrick Storm. The music felt fresh after having been away from it for so long.

After the show, he did his usual rounds through the crowded lobby, shaking hands and smiling, chatting with the fans. Most of the cast and crew had cleared out quickly, eager to squeeze in a meal and a bit of down-time before the evening performance. The matinee audience themselves were less inclined to stick around, most of them ready to move on to their Saturday-night plans, so the crowd soon thinned out.

Just as Castle was saying goodbye to the last group of fans, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He took it out and found a text from Kate.

 _Got a table at Don Antonio. Come and find me._

A grin spread across his face. He could just hear Kate saying those words in that teasing tone he loved so much.

 _On my way_ , he texted back, and quickly headed for his dressing room to change.

"So, pizza, huh?" he said a few minutes later, when he found Kate squeezed into a chair at a tiny table in the popular restaurant. She rose to greet him with a quick kiss before they both shoehorned themselves into the chairs again.

"Yeah," she said, "I was in the mood. How was the show?"

"Great," he answered. "How was your lesson? How's Roy doing?" As he spoke, he reached across the small table to take her hand. He couldn't help it - the urge to touch was always strong when he was around Kate.

"It was fine," she said, a small crease forming on her forehead. "Roy is... well, he looked better than I expected, actually. Tired, of course, but he seems okay. We got through all the solos, at least once each, made some good progress."

"Good. That's great. Did you ask him about the message the other day?"

"I tried," she said. "He didn't want to talk about it, so I just dropped it."

"Hmm." Castle nodded. He could see that the mysterious voicemail was still bothering Kate, but it seemed there was nothing they could do about it.

A waiter appeared at their elbows, and they quickly ordered a pizza to share and two beers. After the man departed, Castle gave Beckett's hand a squeeze, waiting until she lifted her eyes to his face.

"What about at Juilliard this morning, the professors? How did that go?"

"Right!" She sat up straighter, her expression clearing somewhat. "Well, I talked to all but one of the professors on the list. But it was kind of frustrating, actually. None of them had anything bad to say about Greg." She pulled out the piece of paper with the list of names on it, and gave him a quick rundown of each person she had talked to.

"Hmm," Castle said when she was finished. He slid the list toward him, studying it. "So we've got two who were overly friendly, one jittery, and one who was, well, German." As Kate nodded, he went on, "Any one of those could have been covering up a guilty conscience."

Beckett rolled her eyes. "Yeah, or it could just be their reactions to the stress of preparing for a new school year," she pointed out. "Or, for that matter, it could just be their natural personalities." She sighed, frowning down at the list of names. "What about your phone calls? Any luck?"

"Not really." He told her about the calls he had made, and how he'd also found a way to question some of the Storm cast members under the guise of gossip. "It was basically the same story as what you found. No one seems to be able to think of anything awful that Greg's been involved in."

"So we've gotten nowhere," she said, her frown deepening.

Castle shook his head emphatically. "No, come on, Beckett, don't get discouraged. This is still good progress. See, we've eliminated some possibilities, right? It probably wasn't someone at the school, and it probably wasn't someone in the show."

"Unless there was something that no one bothered to mention," she grumbled. "We're still no closer to figuring out what Greg did that upset someone, let alone who it is."

"We'll get there," Castle said confidently. "We still have to talk to Greg's students, and Chloe. And we should go back to the school and try to find that last teacher who wasn't there this morning. Maybe one of those people will give us something."

"Yeah, maybe." Kate pursed her lips, then brightened, straightening up. "Oh, and we didn't ask Greg about his romantic history. Maybe he has an angry ex with some kind of grudge. He's not married, is he?"

"No, I don't think so," Castle said. "But a disgruntled ex isn't a good story, Beckett. There's gotta be more to it than that."

Beckett groaned and shook her head. "Castle. Not everything is an opera."

"Oh, come on," he needled, squeezing her hand again. "Admit it, you'd be disappointed if it turns out to be something that simple."

She merely narrowed her eyes at him, but anything she might have said was forestalled by the arrival of the waiter with their food and drinks.

* * *

They lingered over their meal, since they had the time for it, despite the waiter's none-too-subtle attempts to nudge them along. At last they put down their napkins, pried themselves out of the chairs, and pushed out through the crowd of people waiting by the entrance for a table.

Castle once again took Kate's hand, lacing his thick fingers through her slimmer ones as they strolled back toward the theater. The streets were thronged with Saturday-night tourists and other revelers, and Kate pressed closer against Castle's side to avoid being jostled. It almost felt like they were an oasis, a small bubble of calm in the midst of the frenzy. They were the only ones not in a rush, or so it seemed.

"Some of the cast and crew will probably go out to a club after the show," Castle said as they walked. "They usually do, especially on weekend nights. Do you want to go along?"

"Do you?" she hedged, glancing sideways at him. Kate was really not the clubbing type, especially not when she was in the middle of preparing for a singing engagement. But she wanted to spend the evening with her boyfriend, so if he was up for the partying, she would go along.

"Ehh." He shrugged. "I'd be just as happy to go back to the loft and relax. It's been a long time since I did two shows in a row." It was his turn to glance over at her. "Go ahead, you can say it. I'm getting boring in my old age."

Kate burst out laughing. "You're not old, babe." She gave his hand a squeeze. "And you're definitely not boring."

"Sweet talker," he joked, grinning back at her. He leaned over to plant a kiss on her cheek, and then, seeing that they had arrived at the theater, he murmured into her ear, "Wanna come back to my dressing room? I'll show you just how not-boring I can be."

A pleasant shiver ran lightly across her skin and down her spine, her entire body suddenly acutely aware of his, so close, so warm. The scent of his aftershave tantalized her nose. "Tempting," she managed. "But I think you'd better conserve your strength for the show, don't you?"

"Beckett!" he gasped, pressing his other hand to his chest in mock outrage. "Are you implying that I lack stamina?"

She couldn't help laughing again. "Hardly." She gave him a slow blink, the kind that conveyed exactly what she meant. "After the show's over and you take me back to your loft, I expect you to still have lots of strength left."

"Challenge accepted," Castle growled, and leaned in again, but this time she evaded his kiss, because she could see that it was going to be the kind that might get out of hand. So to speak.

"How's that song coming along?" she deflected. His eyes flashed at her, a hint of a pout forming on his lips.

"That's unfair, Beckett." He sighed melodramatically. "Now you've put it back into my head, and I'll have no choice but to go work on it some more."

"Oops," she grinned, unrepentant. She was, in fact, quite curious about what he was working on - it had been a while since he'd gotten as thoroughly into the zone as he had been this morning. But she also knew that he didn't like to show anyone a work in the early stages; it had to reach a certain level of definition before he'd be comfortable letting her see it.

"Come on, babe," she said, tugging his hand lightly, leading him into the building. "There's plenty of time before the show."

They went to the dressing room together, and settled in on the chairs, where Castle pulled out the loose pages of his new song and bent over them, muttering and humming to himself. Kate took the opportunity to study her music, opening the _Carmina Burana_ score on her lap and working her way through the solos, making some more notes based on the things she and Roy had talked about earlier.

She wasn't sure how much time had gone by when the assistant stage manager knocked on the door. "Mr. Castle? Are you in there?" she called.

Castle lifted his head, blinking, wearing that dazed expression that he usually bore when he was pulled out of a composing haze. Kate could see that it would take him a moment to reorient himself, so she jumped up and opened the door herself.

"He's here," she said. "He's just in the creative zone."

"Oh." The other woman glanced past Kate, seeing Castle with pencil in hand, surrounded by sheets of staff paper. "I'm so sorry to interrupt. Just wanted to be sure he was here."

"Don't worry. He'll be ready at curtain time," Kate promised with a smile.

"Okay. Thanks." The ASM handed her a bottle of sparkling water and walked off.

"Time to snap out of it, babe," Kate said, closing the door again. She put the bottle of water on the ledge underneath the room's wide mirror. Then, because she knew it was one of the most effective ways to get him out of the zone - and because she wanted to - she threw a leg across Castle's thighs and straddled him, sitting down on his lap. She loosened the pencil from his fingers, dropping it onto the table, and then laced her fingers together behind his neck.

He stared up at her, the corners of his mouth quirking with amusement. His eyes were clearing, fully focused on her now, and darkened with desire.

"Why, Ms. Beckett," he rumbled, low and enticing. His hands came up and spread across her back, his fingers bracketing her ribs, wide and warm. "How very nice to see you."

"Likewise," she grinned. She leaned forward until their lips were just barely brushing against each other. "It's time to get ready for the show," she whispered.

Castle groaned and his grip tightened, fingertips pressing into her skin as he pulled her closer. "What show?" His breath tickled her cheeks, and then he was kissing her, hard and hot.

Kate felt a moan bubble up in her throat, and she couldn't hold it back. Castle swallowed it, his tongue insistent against her lips. She kissed him back eagerly, enjoying the feel of his body warm and solid under hers.

But when she felt his fingers creeping stealthily under her shirt, fingertips painting delicate streaks along the skin of her lower back, she pulled away, panting. "Castle," she said warningly.

"Kate," he responded on a groan. His mouth connected with the underside of her jaw, teeth nipping lightly, and she gasped, her whole body shuddering against him. His pleased rumble washed over her, bringing her back to unfortunate reality.

"Sorry, babe," she panted. With an effort, she pushed his hands away and stood up. "It's time to get ready," she said again. "They'll be calling you soon."

For a moment Castle just stared up at her, adorably rumpled and flushed, and she was so close to giving in and sliding back onto his lap again; but then he let out a breath, half-laugh and half-sigh, and ran a hand over his face. When he took the hand away and stood up, he was grinning.

"You sure know how to get a guy's attention," he husked. "Are you planning to come by here at intermission?"

"I don't think that's a good idea," Kate hummed, mentally cursing the curve of her lips. It was so hard to resist that hoarse tone he used, his voice low and scratchy with the same desire that she felt. The end of the show suddenly felt a long way off.

"Aww," Castle grumbled, pouting, "why not?"

"You know perfectly well why not," she chided, narrowing her eyes at him. He pouted some more, but didn't bother denying it. Not for the first time, Kate mentally kicked herself for that one moment of abandon, many months ago here in this very room. She would probably never live that down.

She cleared her throat and forced herself to shake it off. "How's this coming along?" she asked, touching her fingertips to the pages of the new song scattered across the table. The neat freak in her was itching to gather up the loose sheets of paper, tap them into an orderly pile, but she knew that Castle wouldn't like that. He hated it when anyone moved his pages around while he was in the middle of a piece.

"It's almost done," he answered. He ran a hand over his face again and then through his hair. "Not sure where it's going after it's finished, but we'll see."

Kate tilted her head curiously, waiting for him to continue. But when he didn't, she shrugged and put that aside for now.

"Are you with it now, Castle?" she asked. "Because I should get up to the box. Don't get sucked back into the haze."

"No, I'm good. I'm good," he said. He cleared his throat and looked around. "I'll get my tux on and be all ready."

"And that's my cue to leave," Kate said, swiftly moving past him to gather up her purse. She definitely did not need to stick around and watch her boyfriend change his clothes, not in this dangerous mood they were both in at the moment.

Castle chuckled softly, and she knew that he knew exactly what she was thinking. Damn him. She straightened up, pulling the strap of her purse over her shoulder, and glared at him.

"Shut up."

"I didn't say anything," he protested mildly, still grinning.

"Uh-huh." She moved past him again, patting his chest lightly as she went. "Break a leg, babe."

"Thanks." His hands twitched, like he was tempted to grab for her again, but she whisked out of reach and opened the door.

In the corridor outside the door, Kate paused and took a moment for a couple of deep breaths, pressing the back of her wrist to her forehead. Really, this was ridiculous. She was so bad at keeping her cool around that man.

When she had gotten her composure back - mostly - she tossed her hair back over her shoulder and went to the lobby to find the house manager. A few minutes later, she was seated in Castle's private box, waiting for the show to begin.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading!_


	8. Chapter 8

_Sing again, with your dear voice revealing_  
 _A tone_  
 _Of some world far from ours,_  
 _Where music and moonlight and feeling_  
 _Are one._  
-Percy Bysshe Shelley

* * *

Kate had been to many Broadway shows in her lifetime, including all of Castle's, multiple times - she would probably never admit to him exactly how many times she had seen his shows, before they met. But it wasn't until she had met Castle that she'd had the unique experience of seeing a show from the vantage point of a private luxury box. Unlike many Broadway theaters, this one had boxes that provided a perfect view of not only the entire stage, but most of the rest of the audience as well.

The first time she'd sat there - with Castle, not long after they started dating - she'd found it an odd experience. It felt simultaneously voyeuristic and exhibitionist, making her more than a little uncomfortable. But when the lights went down and the show began, all of that melted away. Somehow, the enclosed space of the luxury box, shrouded by thick velvet curtains on both sides, made the darkness of the theater seem deeper. Even the miscellaneous coughing, muttering, and rustling noises from the other audience members couldn't quite dispel the intimate feeling that came over her, as if the show were being performed for her and her alone.

Now that she had a number of luxury-box viewings under her belt, it no longer felt so strange; she simply enjoyed it. And when Castle was conducting rather than sitting next to her, the privacy of the box had another advantage: it allowed her to ogle her boyfriend without restraint.

Kate had seen _Storm Surge_ enough times that she didn't feel a need to pay close attention to the plot; she could simply let the music wash over her while indulging in the shameless pleasure of watching Castle conduct. Here in the dark, where no one could see, she admired the way his broad shoulders filled out his tux, the way the muscles of his back shifted and bunched under the fabric, and of course, the movements of his hands. Oh, how she loved those hands.

Hidden from view, she allowed herself to drift pleasantly through a series of lewd fantasies while watching the man of her dreams.

And then it was intermission; the singers finished their last phrase, the orchestra played a final flourish, and Castle held his baton aloft for a long moment, letting the chord resonate through the space, before lowering it. The curtain came down as the lights came up; the orchestra members sat back and put their instruments down; the audience applauded, and then began to move, chattering.

Kate gave a slow sigh, stood up, and stretched. After the fact, she blushed a little at the things she had been thinking about, but no one needed to know. She bit back a secretive smile and gathered up her purse to go downstairs.

At the bottom of the stairs, she paused, looking out over the crowded lobby. Before she could decide which way to go - whether to plunge into the mass of people or try to skirt around the edges - she heard a voice calling her name. She turned to find Bob Weldon, the mayor, approaching from her right.

"Kate! Great to see you again," he boomed, all smiles. Kate smiled back and greeted him warmly.

"Nice of you to come to the show," she said, and Weldon waved his hand in demurral.

"It's always a delight to see a Castle show," he said sincerely. "So, Kate, I hear you've signed on to my little surprise event for the governor."

"Yes," she acknowledged, while lifting her eyebrows slightly at the word _little_. "It should be a wonderful evening. I'm honored to have been asked to participate."

"Nonsense, we're honored to have you." The mayor's smile broadened as he caught sight of something behind Kate's shoulder. "Ah! The man of the hour."

Kate felt Castle before she saw him - his hand coming to rest at the small of her back, just barely high enough to be decent. "Bob!" he said jovially. "Great to see you." He shook the mayor's hand, then leaned down to brush a quick, socially-acceptable kiss to Kate's cheek. "Hey, you."

"Hey," she responded, hoping her cheeks weren't too noticeably pink at the light touch of his hand. "First half went well."

"You think so?" Castle beamed, looking to the mayor to confirmation. "I thought so. It sounded good from where I stand."

"Fantastic as always," Weldon agreed. "Now, Rick, I'm sure Kate has told you by now about my little secret."

"Little?" Castle raised his eyebrows, while Kate bit the inside of her cheek to hold back her own amusement. Once again they were on the same wavelength. "Well, if that's what you want to call it."

"Oh, yeah, you know, nothing fancy," the mayor chuckled, "just a star-studded concert followed by a gourmet dinner and dancing in the ballroom at the Pierre. You'll join us for the dinner, won't you?" he added, looking from one of them to the other and back. "All of the performers and their plus-ones are invited."

"Of course," Castle and Beckett said in unison. The mayor laughed and reached out to clap them both on the shoulders.

"Love it! Looking forward to it. Excuse me, won't you?" And he turned his attention to another VIP who had come up beside him as they talked.

Kate cast a glance up at Castle's face as they moved aside. He wore a strange expression that made her pause, tilting her head curiously at him.

"What?" she asked, as he flashed his friendly smile toward a group of approaching fans.

His eyes twinkling, he leaned sideways toward her, and just before the fans came into earshot, murmured, "I think that's the first time I've been referred to as _your_ plus-one."

Then the group of admirers was upon them and Castle turned his entire attention to them, smiling and thanking them, cheerfully posing for selfies while Kate stood back and absorbed what he had said.

All too soon, the lights flashed to let everyone know it was time to get back to their places. Kate and Rick hadn't had any time to themselves during the intermission, which was just as well, she told herself; something inadvisable probably would have happened.

On that thought, she kissed her boyfriend on the cheek and said, "You better get back, babe. They're probably wondering where you are."

"So nice to meet you," he said to the last pair of adoring fans, and then, to Kate, "See you after the show?"

"Yep. Break a leg," she smiled, and they went their separate ways.

Kate tried to focus more on the show during the second half. She watched Greg, who had a larger part than in the first half, as his character was revealed to have been the mastermind behind the faked death of Storm's former partner and lover, Clara Strike. Greg was well suited for the role; he brought the perfect blend of caginess and buffoonery, making his deceitful machinations believable and his eventual downfall very satisfying.

If Greg was feeling the stress of his mysterious threatening letter, it didn't show in his performance, of course; he was far too good an actor for that.

When the show was over, Kate lingered in the box for a while longer, standing by the railing and looking down on the main floor as the audience members slowly made their way out. By the time she came out of the box and down the stairs, the line for the restroom had grown long, so she waited her turn with all the other women.

At last she was finished, and made her way out of the theater and around to the side of the building where the stage door let out into the alley. Taxis and town cars were idling at the curb in a long line, waiting to receive the performers.

A crowd of fans - mostly female - had gathered to clamor for the attention of the stars as they emerged, and Kate couldn't help the smirk that twisted her lips when she saw Castle standing among them. He was grinning, clearly enjoying himself as he greeted one fan after another, willingly signing the playbills and other items that they thrust at him - but resolutely ignoring the few who yanked down the collars of their shirts and tried to stick their cleavage in his face.

Once, Kate knew, he would have been gleefully scrawling his name across all of those breasts... but not any more. A hot thrill ran down her spine at the thought.

She wasn't usually the possessive type, but tonight, after everything that had happened, she just wanted her man. And she wanted everyone to know it.

Her heels rapped sharply on the concrete as she stepped forward, pushing her way through the mass of bodies. She reached Castle and wrapped her arm around his bicep, stretching upward to press her mouth to the curve of his cheek, just barely at the edges of his lips.

"Time to go, Rick," she husked into his ear, her voice throbbing with all of the pent-up energy that had been building since their brief make-out session in the dressing room. "Now."

She felt more than heard his sharp intake of breath, and he handed the Sharpie back to the woman standing on his other side. "There you go. Thanks for coming," he said. Then, hastily, to the rest of his fans as he leaned down to pick up his briefcase from the sidewalk beside his feet, "Thank you all! Good night!"

His free arm came around Kate's back as they moved back through the crowd and away. She pressed against his side, her fingers twisting in the belt loop on the jeans that he had changed back into. She could feel the heat of his body against hers, the same tension quivering in his muscles as in hers.

"Taxi?" he asked, trying to steer her toward the waiting cabs, but she shook her head, pulling him in the other direction.

"It'll take forever in this traffic. Subway."

Castle pursed his lips as he fell into step with her, glancing at the congested streets. She was right; it was Saturday night in the theater district, and the traffic was at a standstill.

"But it's been nine whole days since the last time we made out in a car," he whined into her ear as they started down the steps into the subway station.

Kate paused halfway down to look over her shoulder at him, her jaw falling open slightly. "You've been keeping count?" She laughed, shaking her head. "Of course you have." Affection swept through her, just as powerful as the lust she'd been feeling a moment ago. "You big dork."

A passerby grunted a curse at them for blocking the stairway, and Kate jerked back into motion, tangling her fingers with Castle's and quickly descending the rest of the stairs.

On the crowded platform, Castle pressed her back up against a pillar, his warm body hard against her, awakening all of her nerve endings all over again.

"It was so hot how you got all cave-woman on me back there at the stage door," he rasped against her lips, his hands bracketing her waist as the briefcase thumped to the floor. "Where'd that come from?"

"I don't know," Kate said breathlessly, brushing shallow kisses onto his mouth. "Guess I just wanted to be sure all those women knew they didn't stand a chance."

"They definitely didn't." He smirked and kissed her again, deeper and harder this time, drawing a soft moan from her throat.

But she pushed him away, her hands on his chest, feeling the coiled tension in his muscles and the rapid beating of his heart. "Castle, behave yourself."

"Don't wanna," he said childishly.

"Too bad. Don't forget, Alexis is going to be at the loft."

He heaved a deep, melodramatic sigh, and backed off, though he kept his hands on her waist. "Spoilsport. Okay, okay. I'll be good."

Fortunately, the subway arrived quickly, and the brief walk from the station to the loft was enough to cool them both down somewhat. Alexis was in the living room when they came in, and she looked up from her phone with a cheerful smile.

"Hi, Dad. Hi, Kate. How were the shows today?"

"Great," Castle said, putting down his briefcase and moving across the room to hug his daughter while Kate paused to take her shoes off. "How was the movie?"

"Good. Kelly just got back from Italy, and she had so many stories to tell. Can't we go to Italy sometime, Dad? I've got to see Rome and all the ancient ruins and stuff."

"Sure," he said easily as Kate came over to join them. "We can find a time to go over there. Maybe in the spring."

"Have you ever been to Italy, Kate?" Alexis asked, sinking down onto the couch, lifting her eyebrows at Kate in silent invitation. Kate took the hint and sat down with her.

"Yeah," she confirmed, "I went once as part of a school trip when I was about your age."

"I'll make hot cocoa," Castle said, and moved off to the kitchen as Alexis began to quiz Kate about all of the ancient Roman sites she had visited.

The three of them spent a pleasant half-hour sitting together on the couch, drinking hot cocoa and talking about this and that. At last Alexis gave a huge yawn, blushed, and said, "Excuse me. I guess it's past my bedtime. Goodnight, guys."

"Night."

"Night, pumpkin."

She hugged them both and went upstairs. Kate collected the empty mugs and brought them to the kitchen. She was rinsing them in the sink when Castle came up behind her, his arms slipping around her as his mouth descended to that most sensitive spot just below her ear.

"Leave those," he husked, his hands wandering naughtily. Kate let out a breathy gasp and twisted in his arms. Her whole body was alive with excitement, the desire that had been building all night becoming almost unbearable.

They kissed feverishly as they stumbled across the room, buttons flying open, though in deference to Alexis they didn't let any clothing hit the floor until they had made it through the study and into the bedroom, the door swinging shut at a swift nudge from Castle's foot.

* * *

Castle awoke to the smell of coffee and an empty stretch of mattress next to him. Bleary-eyed, he sat up and discovered a cup of coffee on the nightstand beside him, still steaming gently.

He was usually the one who provided coffee for both himself and Kate, so every time she did it for him, it gave him an unreasonably powerful surge of pleasure, tightening his chest and bringing a smile to his lips.

He lifted the coffee and took a few sips, slowly realizing that he could hear voices in the loft beyond the bedroom door, which stood slightly ajar. Just the mental image of his girlfriend and daughter perched on stools by the kitchen island, chattering together over steaming mugs, warmed his heart.

He finished the coffee and heaved himself out of the bed, staggering slightly, still not fully awake. Mumbling to himself, he stumbled into the bathroom for a quick shower.

When he eventually emerged from the bedroom, dressed but barefoot with his hair still damp, he found Kate and Alexis in the kitchen, preparing breakfast. Alexis was operating the waffle iron, and Kate was slicing fruit while doing vocal warmups. A pan of sizzling bacon sat on the flame between them, both women apparently keeping an eye on it.

"Una bella rosa," Kate sang on ascending and then descending arpeggios, the first four syllables climbing up an octave before the 'ro' tumbled down again. "Una bella rosa." She moved a pile of melon cubes onto a plate already almost overflowing with fruit. "Morning, sleepyhead."

"Good morning, ladies," he said, gazing with delight at the spread they had prepared. "This looks amazing."

"It was Kate's idea," his daughter told him, giving him a quick side-hug with her hand that wasn't holding the spatula. "Since you seemed to be out like a light."

He saw a slight blush tinge Kate's cheeks, and knew that she was thinking the same thing he was - they had thoroughly tired each other out last night. Of course, neither was going to say that in front of Alexis.

"You were composing in the middle of the night," was what Kate did say, arching her eyebrows at him as he moved around his daughter and came over to kiss her cheek. "Weren't you?"

"Yeah." He snuck a raspberry from the fruit plate, narrowly avoiding her attempt to smack his hand away. "I guess yesterday was an inspiring day."

It was true; after dozing off, pleasantly tangled up with Kate in his bed, he'd awoken in the wee hours with the beginnings of another song worming through his brain. He'd known immediately that there was no use trying to get back to sleep until he got it down on paper, so he'd carefully extricated himself and tiptoed to his study. He had an electronic keyboard there, with headphones to allow him to play without disturbing anyone else in the loft. It had only taken about half an hour to get the skeleton of the song written out, but then it had still taken him a while to fall asleep again, even after he slipped back into bed and resumed his place snuggled up to the still-sleeping Kate.

"Waffles are up," Alexis announced, passing him a plate. "Help yourself, Dad."

"Bacon's ready too," Kate said. She turned off the flame under the pan and began transferring the bacon to another plate. Castle opened the fridge.

"Whipped cream or maple syrup?" he asked Alexis. She grinned and rolled her eyes at him.

"Both, duh."

A few minutes later, the three of them were seated at the island, enjoying their meal. "Big plans today?" Castle asked his daughter.

"Just studying," she replied, nodding toward a thick textbook that sat on the countertop.

"Homework? Already? School hasn't even started yet."

"It's only a month until the PSATs," Alexis answered with a shrug.

Castle exchanged a look with Beckett. "Pumpkin, you're not worried about that, are you? Standardized tests are totally your bitch."

"Dad, language."

"Sorry, sorry." He made an exaggerated face, drawing a laugh from both women. "I meant to say, you always excel at this kind of test."

"Yeah, but this one's really important. I just want to be prepared." Alexis said. "Thanks," she added as an aside to Kate, who was pouring glasses of orange juice for all of them. "Besides," Alexis went on, "I hung out with my friends, like, constantly this whole week. We wouldn't want to get sick of each other right before school starts."

Castle laughed. "That's more like it. Okay then, PSAT practice tests it is. Not for the whole day, I hope."

Alexis lifted a shoulder. "We'll see."

He shook his head, then shrugged and turned to Kate. "We're going to call Chloe this morning, right? And the rest of Greg's students?"

"Mm." Kate sipped her orange juice and nodded. "We can get on that after breakfast."

Castle could take a hint. He applied himself to the food with enthusiasm.

After they had all finished eating, Alexis picked up her textbook and gave a cheery wave as she bounced up the stairs. "I'll be in my room if you need me," she called over her shoulder. Castle shook his head in bemusement at her as he began clearing the dishes.

Kate came around the kitchen island to put her own dishes in the sink, and then she disappeared into his bedroom to get dressed. Castle rinsed the dishes, loaded the dishwasher, started its cycle, and was just beginning to wipe down the countertops when the loft's front door opened and Martha entered.

"Good morning, Richard," she said, looking and sounding a little weary, but smiling.

"Mother," he sighed. "Another walk of shame? Should I even ask?"

"Well, don't ask if you don't want to know, kiddo," she trilled. "But look here, darling, you've got to see this." She came across the room toward him, waving a folded newspaper.

"What is it?" He squinted at the paper as she came closer, until he could see that it was the _Ledger_. "Oh, Mother, not Page Six. We don't need that kind of-"

"Wait, wait," Martha interrupted. "Trust me, Richard, you'll want to see this." She opened the newspaper and spread it out on the countertop in front of him.

He looked, and his eyebrows rose.

"Ahh, yes. See?" his mother hummed, smiling. "I told you."

At the top of Page Six was a grainy but easily recognizable photo of Rick and Kate. It must have been taken outside the theater the day before yesterday, when they'd walked back for the second half of the day's auditions after having lunch with Greg. In the picture, Kate's arms were around Rick's neck, his hands on her back, and they were gazing into each other's eyes, their lips almost but not quite touching.

The caption under the photo read: _An eagle-eyed fan sent us this shot of Storm Surge composer Rick Castle and girlfriend Kate Beckett outside the Regal Playhouse, where they spent all day Friday hearing auditions for Castle's new show. Looks like our doubts about the seriousness of their relationship may have been unfounded. Witnesses say the pair couldn't keep their eyes - or hands - off each other. Could this be the year we take Castle off our Most Eligible Bachelors list? Stay tuned._

"Hmm," Castle said. "Good to see they've come to their senses."

"Yes, there, you see? All better," Martha pronounced.

"Well... I'm not sure Kate will see it that way, Mother."

"See it what way?" came a voice from the doorway of his study. Martha winced, quickly whisking the newspaper off the counter.

"Katherine! Good morning, darling. Isn't it a lovely day?" she gushed. Castle rolled his eyes.

"Mother." He reached over and plucked the paper from Martha's hand, where she was holding it behind her back, not nearly as subtle as she clearly thought she was. "We're not keeping secrets, okay?" To Kate, as she approached, he said, "We're on Page Six again."

"Oh god, what now?" Kate stared at him with a frown creasing her forehead. "Is it terrible?"

"No, actually." He opened the paper and showed it to her. Martha watched, her eyebrows raised, but said nothing as Kate looked at the photo and story.

Her cheeks flushed a little pink at the sight of the photo, but as she read the words underneath it, her lips curved upward. "Oh," was all she said.

"Oh?" Castle ducked his head to get a better look at her face, trying to figure out what she was thinking. "You're not mad, are you?"

"Mad? No..." Kate bit her lip. "They really don't have a clue, do they?"

Castle and his mother exchanged a puzzled look.

"I do generally find it best to disregard the critics," Martha said, drawing a snort from Castle.

"Oh please, Mother, you once held a grudge for over a decade just because someone didn't find your Southern accent authentic enough in _Fried Green Tomatoes_."

Martha huffed in outrage, but Kate just laughed. "You're absolutely right, Martha," she told the older woman. "Disregard it is exactly what I plan to do." She glanced sideways at Castle, suddenly hesitant, as if she weren't sure how he would react to that. He beamed.

"Me too," he agreed, slipping his arm around her waist. Kate's smile shone with relief, and he bent his head to press his own smile against it.

"Lovely. So it's agreed," Martha pronounced. "Now, if you'll excuse me, my dears, mama needs her beauty rest. Goodnight!"

Castle checked his watch; it was nearing eleven AM. He shared an amused look with Kate. "Goodnight, Mother," he said, chuckling.

"Sleep well," Kate added toward Martha's retreating form, and then, for his ears only, "Ready to make some calls?"

"You better believe it." He released her and folded up the newspaper, tossing it into the recycling bin. "Let's do this."

They settled in to Castle's study, Kate pulling a chair up close to the side of the desk while Rick turned on his computer and pulled up Greg's email with his students' contact information.

"Chloe first, right?" he said, almost bouncing in his seat with eagerness, and Kate nodded, rolling her eyes slightly.

"Yeah, babe, but let me do the talking, okay? You're the guy whose show she's trying to get a part in; you need to back off."

"Okay, okay," he grumbled. He dialed Chloe's number and put the phone onto speaker mode, pushing it closer to Kate as it began to ring.

"Hello?" came Chloe's voice.

"Hi, Chloe," Kate said. "It's Kate Beckett."

"Oh - Kate, hi!" Chloe sounded surprised. "What's up?"

"Listen, I won't take up too much of your time," Kate promised, her tone light and casual. "I was just having lunch with Greg Garland the other day, and he mentioned that you had left him for another voice teacher, and I was curious what the story was."

"Oh. No story, really," Chloe said. "Greg's a great guy, and a good teacher. I just kinda felt like we didn't click, you know? Like, our styles are just really different."

"Mm-hm," Kate hummed encouragingly.

"Plus, this friend of mine kept talking up how great her teacher was, and her studio's right near my apartment, and then she suddenly had an opening, so I just decided to jump on it." Chloe paused, and they could almost hear her shrugging. "Greg seemed to understand. No hard feelings, it happens, right? I'd still totally recommend him if anyone else was looking for a voice teacher. I told him that."

"Okay. Great, that's good to know," Kate said. "It sounds like you're pretty happy with the new teacher. What's her name?"

"Suzanne Charton. Have you heard of her? She's amazing."

"No, I haven't," Kate said, "but I'm glad you found someone you like so much. I hope she works out for you."

"Thanks," Chloe said. "I'll see you at the callback audition tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah, definitely," Kate replied. "See you then."

"See you then. Bye."

Castle pressed the button to disconnect the call, and they looked at each other.

"Well, that was a bust," he said, his lips twisting with dismay. He pulled out his hand-written list of names and drew a line through Chloe's. "I mean, unless you think she was lying."

"No." Kate stared at the list, her brow furrowed. "I don't think so. Do you?"

"No," he sighed. Abruptly, he pressed the speakerphone button again, and dialed the number of the first of Greg's current students.

Three of the four students didn't answer their phones. At Castle's nudge, Kate left messages for them, asking them to call her back.

The fourth student, Lucas Devine, answered his phone, but just like everyone else they had talked to so far, he was no help. "I got no issues with Greg," he said. "He's a decent guy, I guess. We don't really chat during my lessons. Strictly business, you know? I ain't payin' him to be my buddy."

After they had hung up with Lucas, Castle pushed back his chair, grunting in frustration. "We're getting nowhere," he complained, running his hands through his hair. "How is it possible that no one has anything bad to say about Greg at all?"

Beckett was studying the list of names, biting her lip in thought. "I don't know, Castle. Someone who has worked with Greg in his professional capacity in some way seemed like the obvious answer, but maybe we were wrong. Maybe we should go back to the idea of the angry ex-lover."

"I can ask him about that," Castle agreed grudgingly. "And we should still go back to Juilliard tomorrow and talk to that last professor on the list. Maybe she'll give us something."

"Yeah..." Kate didn't seem convinced. "You know, it's also possible that this was just someone's idea of a practical joke. Maybe we're reading way too much into it."

"Weird sort of joke," he said, but he had to admit that it was as plausible an explanation as anything else they'd come up with - at least, anything that would fit the evidence, scanty as it was.

Kate stood up then, slapping the paper onto the desk with a decisive hand. "In any case," she said, "that's all we can get done on this for today." She glanced at her watch. "And I need to get some practicing in before I meet my dad for dinner."

"Oh, right." Castle nodded. Kate always had dinner with her father on Sunday, unless something unusual came up. "That's hours away, though. You've got plenty of time."

She looked over at him, and he was surprised to see an almost panicked expression on her face. "But I've got so much music to learn, Castle. The first _Carmina Burana_ rehearsal is tomorrow!"

"Hey." He stepped forward to put his hands on her shoulders. "Don't freak out. Roy said you're ready, right?"

"Yeah, but I need to have these arias down cold. And then there's the violin stuff."

"No problem." He smiled reassuringly. "If you go now, you've got a few hours, and then a couple more after your dinner. Right?"

"Yeah." She relaxed slightly, stretching up to kiss him. "Yeah, it'll be okay. Thanks, babe."

"I'll come get you first thing in the morning," he said, following her into the bedroom, where she gathered up her phone, purse, and shoes. "We can stop over at Juilliard to talk to Professor Ortega, and then get over to the theater for the rest of the auditions."

"Okay." She nodded, biting her lip as she checked her purse to make sure she had everything she needed. "That's a plan."

Castle trailed behind again as she moved through the loft to the door. "Tell Jim I said hi," he said, and Kate paused in the open doorway, turning back toward him.

"I will." She looped her arms around his waist and came in for another kiss. "Break a leg at the matinee."

"Thanks. Love you."

"Love you too." And after stealing one more kiss for the road, she departed.

* * *

 _Thank you for reading, as always!_


	9. Chapter 9

_Funny how a melody sounds like a memory._  
-Eric Church

* * *

The Sunday-afternoon matinee show went off very well, and Castle was all smiles as he stood backstage congratulating the performers after the curtain call. "Enjoy the day off tomorrow," he told them all. "You deserve it!"

A short while later, as he was changing back out of his tuxedo, there came a knock on the door of his dressing room.

"Castle? You in there?"

Recognizing Greg's voice, he called back, "Just a sec," as he pulled up his jeans and quickly fastened them. Bare-chested, he opened the door and invited Greg in.

"I got another one," the baritone said without preliminaries, as soon as the door had closed behind him. Castle, his t-shirt halfway on, paused to look over at Greg in surprise.

"Another letter?"

"Yeah." Greg had delivered his usual stellar performance, but now that the show was over and he'd removed his costume and makeup, his expression was drawn with worry. "I went by the school again, just out of curiosity, and found it in my mailbox."

He took an envelope out of his jacket pocket. It was identical to the first one, a plain white envelope with nothing but his name written in block letters on the front. Greg removed the sheet of paper from it and held it up to Castle's gaze.

 _ **I HOPE YOU CAN AFFORD WHAT IT'S GOING TO COST.  
**_ _ **DON'T GO TO THE POLICE. YOU WILL REGRET IT.**_

"Huh," Castle said, blowing out a breath as he stared at the words. "Well, that's more explicitly threatening than the first one."

"Yeah." Greg's lips were tight as he re-folded the paper and slid it back into the envelope. "I don't know what to do, Rick. I really don't. Have you and Kate found anything out, anything useful at all?"

Castle hesitated. He didn't want to lie to Greg, but on the other hand, the guy was already stressed out enough. And they hadn't exhausted all the possible avenues of investigation, so... "We've made some progress," he said carefully. "It's been a little hard to get hold of some people, though. The weekend, you know. Things ought to pick up tomorrow."

"Right. Okay." Greg sighed and nodded. "I'm, I'm sure you two are doing everything you can. And thanks. I do appreciate it, I really do."

"We're happy to help," Castle said. Then, remembering his earlier conversation with Kate, he added, "By the way, we were meaning to ask - not that your love life is any of our business, but - is there any chance this could be the work of an ex-girlfriend?" Seeing Greg's forehead beginning to crease, he hazarded, "Or ex-boyfriend?"

"No, no." Greg waved a hand, giving a mirthless snort. "I'm straight, but no, I don't think any of the women I've dated would be behind something like this." He paused, thinking about it. "I suppose maybe Josie... But she moved across the country a few months ago, from what I heard." He shook his head again. "No. I don't think so. Honestly, I haven't really done much dating in the past few years."

"Okay." Castle pushed his feet into his loafers and turned to pack his tuxedo into its garment bag. "Well, if you think of anything else, anyone else, let us know. And I'll tell Kate about this new letter." He pursed his lips in thought. "It's all pretty amateurish, isn't it? A reference to money, but it's not telling you how much, or when, or how you're supposed to get it to them, nothing."

"I know. It's maddening," Greg exclaimed, scowling. "But I do feel better knowing that you and Kate are on the case. Keep me posted, please."

"Of course," Castle assured him, and with a final unhappy nod, Greg departed.

Castle pondered the new development the whole way home. At his building, he left his tuxedo with the doorman to get it dry-cleaned, and took the elevator upstairs, deep in thought.

"Hey, Dad."

"Hey, pumpkin," he greeted his daughter as he entered the loft. Alexis was on the couch, her phone in her hand. The textbook lay closed on the coffee table.

"How was the show?"

"Great." He plopped down next to her. "How's the studying coming along?"

"Good. I aced the practice test."

"Of course you did." He put an arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. "So does this mean you're done? Ready to put the books aside and fry your brain for a while?"

Alexis giggled. "Well, I _was_ thinking of taking a break. What did you have in mind?"

"Hmm." Castle checked his watch. He was itching to call Kate and tell her about the new development in Greg's case, but it was too early; she was probably still at dinner with her father. "Movie marathon?" he suggested.

Alexis pursed her lips, thinking. "Indiana Jones?"

"You have excellent taste, my beloved child." He jumped up. "I'll make the popcorn."

* * *

Kate had gone home and, shaking off the moment of panic that had overtaken her at the loft, put in a productive few hours of violin and singing practice. She was still nervous about tomorrow's rehearsal, but at least she felt confident that she knew the notes.

Then it was time to change her clothes and catch a train to her father's house. As usual, he had cooked a simple but delicious meal, and they chatted easily while eating.

Over dessert, Kate told Jim about Roy's medical incident, and then - although she had toyed with the idea of omitting it entirely - she found herself telling her dad all about her fight with Castle.

"It was pretty stupid, I guess," she confessed, flushing hot as she stared at her plate.

"Not really," Jim said in his quiet way, and she looked up to find him watching her with a wry expression she hadn't seen before. "It's natural to have that kind of reaction, Katie. Those gossip columnists know just how to push your buttons."

Kate stopped still with her fork halfway to her mouth, staring across the table.

"It almost sounds like you're speaking from experience," she got out, her voice small and tight.

"Of course I am," Jim said with his gentle smile. "Katie, don't you think they said all those same things about your mother and me? You know - what on earth did she see in me, what could someone like her possibly get out of a relationship with someone like me? She was this glamorous singer, and I was just some boring lawyer. Was it about money? Were we hiding a pregnancy? Was I just a cover for her secret lesbianism?" He snorted and shook his head. "On and on."

"Dad," Kate gasped. How had she never known about this? Her fork clattered onto the plate, the peach pie forgotten.

Jim's eyes were serious as he gazed at her. "It was all just stupid talk, and I knew that, but it played on every insecurity that I already had. That's what made it so hard to take. They were just writing the same things I was wondering for myself."

Kate shook her head, momentarily speechless.

"It really bothered your mom too," her father added. "Drove her crazy sometimes. We both had to promise each other that we'd just stop reading the damn papers. What did it matter?" He shrugged. "We knew they were just trying to make money by stirring the pot. Our relationship was strong enough to handle it."

Kate winced at that. "I'm sorry, Dad," she said softly. Jim raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"No, no. I'm the one who's sorry, Katie. Some things don't change, I guess." A small frown creased his forehead. "But you and Rick patched things up, right? Everything's okay?"

"Everything's fine," she hastened to assure him. "I just... need to find a way to be okay with all of that, I guess. The publicity, the nasty things they say."

"It's not easy. It takes time, but you'll do it, because you care so much about Rick."

"Yeah," she breathed. "I really do."

Jim picked up his fork again, and Kate took the cue, picking hers up as well. She took another bite of pie.

"He cares about you too, you know," Jim said gently, while she was chewing. "He loves you so much, Katie. Any fool who isn't just trying to sell newspapers can see that."

Kate swallowed with difficulty, her throat suddenly tight again at the words. "I know," she managed.

Jim smiled. "Good. See? You two are going to be fine." He took a sip from his glass of milk. "Eat your pie."

* * *

Rick and Alexis only made it through two Indiana Jones movies before her phone buzzed with yet another call from friends wanting to make last-minute plans. She had resolutely ignored it while they were watching the movies, but as the credits rolled on _Temple of Doom_ , Castle saw her twitching, and nudged her shoulder with his. "Just answer it," he urged with a grin.

Alexis brightened. "I'll only talk for a few minutes, I swear," she said in a rush, as she grabbed the phone. Castle rolled his eyes tolerantly and reached for the remote to stop the movie.

Checking his own phone, he saw that Kate had texted him back. He'd sent her a text in between movies one and two, saying that he had new information about Greg's case. She had replied just a few minutes ago, writing, _I'm home from Dad's. Call me._

He took his phone into the study to get a little distance from the teenage giggling, and dialed Beckett's number.

"Hey, babe," she answered, the sound of her voice bringing an involuntary smile to his lips.

"Hey. How's your dad?"

"He's fine. What's up? You said there was a development?"

"Yeah. Greg got another note." He recited the text of the second letter, hearing Kate suck in her breath with surprise at the threatening words.

"Wow," she said. "That's taking it up a notch."

"Yeah."

"Was Greg freaking out? What did you tell him?"

Castle sank into his desk chair, nodding, even though he knew Kate couldn't see him. "Yeah, he was a little freaked. I... might have kinda implied that we've made more progress with the investigation than we actually have."

"Castle," she groaned.

"I know, I know, but I didn't want him to go off the deep end. Tomorrow's dark day and he'll have nothing to distract him from worrying."

There was a pause, and he knew that Kate was biting her lower lip, thinking things over. "Maybe he should go to the police," she said after a moment.

"What? But the note specifically said not to."

"Yeah," and now he could almost see Kate rolling her eyes, "but as we learn from every mystery novel and movie ever, the problem will only escalate if the blackmail recipient tries to muddle through on their own. If the characters in all of those books just called the police at the beginning, the story would be over."

"Mm... maybe," Castle said skeptically. "But since we know that our mystery blackmailer apparently loves that kind of book and movie, maybe telling Greg not to go to the police was their way of trying to force him to do just that, in which case he definitely shouldn't."

Kate huffed incredulously. "That logic is so convoluted it could be straight out of one of your operas."

"I'll take that as a compliment," he grinned. "Anyway, we could suggest to Greg that he go to the cops, but my guess is he won't want to. Not until we have more information."

"Or until we admit defeat?"

"Whoa, hey," he protested. "That's negative thinking, Beckett. We're gonna figure this thing out."

"Maybe," she said. "But not before tomorrow. I need to practice a bit more."

"Okay. I'll see you in the morning. Love you."

"Love you too. Goodnight."

* * *

"I was thinking," Kate said the next morning, as she and Castle emerged from the subway and walked toward the entrance of the Juilliard building. "Since the new blackmail letter specifically mentioned the police, that implies that whatever the person thinks Greg did, it was probably something illegal."

"Hmm," Castle said, nodding as he thought it over. "That makes sense."

"So maybe instead of just asking general questions about what kind of person Greg is, maybe we should be asking about illegal activities instead," Kate continued.

"Yeah, but if people know about something illegal that Greg did, why wouldn't they have mentioned it when we were asking about him?"

Kate frowned. "That's a good question," she had to admit.

"Well, let's just play it by ear," Castle said, a little too cheerfully for Beckett's comfort as he opened the door for her.

Castle had been at Kate's apartment bright and early that morning, bearing a green protein smoothie instead of coffee and a bear claw, because he knew that she would want to avoid the caffeine and fat on a day when she had an important rehearsal coming up. She loved that he remembered those things, and that he'd gone out of his way to find a smoothie that she particularly liked.

There were auditions for _Heat Wave_ again this morning, but they were for bit parts - characters who only had a few lines each, as well as chorus members and dancers - so Castle had decided to play hooky in order to accompany her to Juilliard. His curiosity about the mystery of Greg's threatening letters was only growing stronger as their inquiries continued to come up empty.

To be fair, Kate's curiosity was pretty strong as well, but she was also preoccupied with all of the actual work she had to do, along with the still-lingering worry about Roy.

Two of Greg's voice students had called Kate back that morning, returning the messages she had left yesterday; they had both said the same things as everyone else - they liked Greg perfectly well and had no major issues with him. So now they had only one of Greg's students left unaccounted for, and only one of the professors on his list - Professor Ortega, whom they hoped to find in her office now.

Inside the Juilliard building, the atmosphere was markedly different from what Kate had seen on Saturday. It was the first day of classes and the hallways were thronged with people and buzzing with energy. The front desk, which on Saturday had held nothing more than a single very bored young woman, was now staffed by several people and surrounded by students wanting to ask questions, request changes to their schedules, reserve practice rooms, and on and on. Kate felt a twinge of nostalgia as she and Castle skirted around the edges of the crowd.

A few people did double-takes when they spotted Castle, but no one approached, perhaps because Kate was hustling him quickly toward the hallway that held the professors' offices. The last thing she wanted was to lose him to a crowd of fangirls when they had so much to accomplish today.

The office area was quieter than the main lobby, which was a relief. Kate strode down the corridor toward the office at the end, where they hoped to find Professor Perla Ortega, the last name on Greg's list.

Professor Ortega's office door was closed, but through the small window in the door, Kate and Rick could see that the professor was inside, talking to a student. Rick leaned against the wall next to the door, preparing to wait.

"If we get nothing from Ortega, do you want to circle back to the people you already talked to?" he asked. "Maybe you'd get more from them if you come at it from the illegal activities angle."

"Well..." Kate pursed her lips as she considered the idea. "Maybe. I don't want to annoy anyone, though, especially now that the semester has started."

"Martinez is here," Castle noted, pointing with his chin toward Professor James Martinez's office across the hall. "Might as well pop in while we're waiting."

Kate shrugged. She couldn't see the harm in it, although she was skeptical that they'd get anything more useful out of the flighty professor.

But just then the door of Professor Ortega's office opened and the student came out, looking close to tears. He barely spared a glance at Castle and Beckett as he dashed past them and away down the hall.

"Next," called the professor, but as Kate and Rick moved into the doorway, her eyebrows went up in surprise. "Oh. You're not students," she observed drily. "Miss Beckett, isn't it? Are you here about Roy? We were told that he's recovering."

"He's doing much better," Kate confirmed, "but no, that's not why we're here. We need to ask you some questions."

If Beckett hadn't been focused on the professor's face, she might have missed the look that flashed across it, there and gone so fast that Kate could almost think she had imagined it. But a quick glance at Castle showed that he must have caught it too - he looked sideways at her just as she looked at him, and his eyes were alight with intrigue.

For an instant there, Professor Ortega had looked scared.

* * *

"What, uh, what questions?" the professor asked, as Castle stepped through the door and into her office, with Beckett close behind.

Castle gave her his best charming smile. "Oh, nothing serious, Professor Ortega. May I?" He didn't wait for her to agree, just sat down in the chair in front of her desk. Beside him, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kate taking the other chair.

"We've been asked to look into reports of illegal activity here at the school," Beckett said coolly, and Castle had to struggle to keep his expression neutral. Inside, he was bouncing with glee. His girlfriend was _awesome_. What she had said was almost completely true and yet almost completely misleading.

"Illegal activity," Ortega repeated, and Castle thought he detected the slightest quaver in her voice, although her expression remained controlled. "I'm not sure what you mean."

"Aren't you?" Kate asked, her tone still deceptively bland. The professor stared at her, hesitation in her eyes.

"Look," Castle broke in, still smiling in what he hoped was a reassuring way, "we don't want to get anyone into trouble. We're just here to do, you know, a risk assessment."

"Right," Beckett agreed. "Because, of course, if there were any risk of liability for the school..."

"Oh. Yes. I understand," Ortega said quickly, nodding her head. "But I, I'm afraid I can't help you. I don't know anything about any illegal activities going on around here."

Her eyes were wide, but earnest, and she met both of their gazes in turn. Castle pursed his lips, debating what else to say, but before he could formulate another carefully suggestive question, Kate was standing up from her chair, giving the professor a small, polite smile.

"Okay," she said. "Thanks for your time."

Surprised, Castle stood up too, and reached over to offer his hand to Professor Ortega. "Lovely to meet you," he said, and she shook his hand, still nodding, looking a little dazed.

"Yes. Well, uh," she said, flustered. Castle just smiled. He was used to that reaction from women of a certain age.

"Have a nice day," he said, and followed Beckett out the door.

In the hallway, he turned to Kate with raised eyebrows. "Beckett, do you realize what just happened? We totally just good cop-bad cop'd her. That was so cool."

Kate huffed and shook her head. "I guess we did. But as I always have to remind you, we're not actually cops, babe."

"I know, I know." He rolled his eyes dramatically, but then turned serious again. "Why didn't you ask her about Greg?"

"Ugh." Kate made a face. "I wanted to, but it didn't feel right. She was already on edge as soon as we walked in, so she would have just shut down." She paused, tilting her head at him. "She was lying, don't you think? About not knowing anything?"

"Yeah." He nodded slowly. "She definitely seems to be hiding something. Too quick to deny it all, and she was really nervous, like you said, from the minute we came in."

Beckett pulled her lower lip between her teeth. "Okay, so what now?"

"Follow my lead." Castle was already in motion, stepping across the hall to James Martinez's door and knocking lightly on the door frame. "Professor?"

"Hmm, yes?" the man responded, looking up from his desk. "Ah. Richard Castle." A slight frown creased his forehead. "Have we met?" Then he noticed Kate, standing just behind Castle. "Miss Beckett, you again."

"Good morning, Professor," she greeted. Castle moved into the office, with Kate right behind.

"Roy is doing better, I hope," Martinez said, shuffling papers around on his desk. "It has been quite the scramble to cover his classes, I will say that. Three weeks before his doctors will let him come back to work, that's what we've heard. Three weeks," he repeated to himself, frowning at the calendar on the wall beside him. "Such timing."

"The timing is unfortunate," Kate agreed. "But yes, he is doing better."

"Ah well, needs must," Martinez said with a shrug. "We're not getting any younger, are we?" He looked up and blinked, as if suddenly remembering they were there. "Mr. Castle?"

"Yes, sorry to bother you, sir," Castle said, giving his friendly smile again, holding out his hand. "We were just wondering if we could ask you about something."

"Indeed." Martinez rose from his chair to shake Castle's hand, his eyes darting from Castle to Beckett and back again. "Is it about Greg again? As I've already told Miss Beckett-"

"No, no." Castle waved that off, interrupting. "This is different, actually - we're looking into reports of illegal activity here at the school."

"Ahh." The professor sank slowly back down into his chair, staring at them with troubled eyes. "I see. So, it's come to this at last, has it?"

Castle and Beckett exchanged a look, and then moved as one to sit in the chairs in front of Martinez's desk. Castle felt the first bubblings of excitement beginning to stir in his gut; they were right on the edge of it, he just knew it.

"It's come to what, Professor?" Beckett asked, her voice soft, but edged with steel.

"Well, I can only assume that this is about the drugs," Martinez said, his eyebrows drawing downward into a pensive frown.

Castle felt his eyes widen, and he just barely managed to restrain a gasp. Beside him, he sensed Beckett going on the alert, sitting up just a little bit straighter, although she still appeared outwardly calm and collected.

"Tell us about the drugs," she said in a level voice.

"It's been a couple of years now, you must understand," Martinez said, casting his eyes down to the surface of his desk. He shuffled a pile of papers from one side of his desk to the other, then moved half of them back. "And it didn't last all that long, while it was going on. William Forrester was behind it, you know. He was the senior member of the Vocal Arts faculty at the time."

The name meant nothing to Castle, but Beckett nodded. "I remember him," she said. Her eyes darted sideways, toward Castle, and she pushed a slip of paper into his hand. Glancing down at it, he saw that it was Kate's handwritten copy of Greg's list of names. William Forrester wasn't on it.

"Where is Forrester now?" Castle asked.

Martinez lifted his gaze to them again, raising his eyebrows. "Dead. He had a heart attack last year. Not long after his retirement party."

"Ahh." Well, that explained why he wasn't on the list.

"So Forrester was dealing drugs here at the school?" Kate prompted. Martinez sighed, ran a hand over his face, and nodded.

"Yes. Cocaine, for the most part. He came to each of us on the faculty and offered us the opportunity to join his scheme - to provide the drugs to our students and make a profit." He looked up at Beckett's face again, and whatever he saw there had him leaning forward, tapping his fingers on the desk for emphasis as he spoke. "You must understand, enrollment was up that year, so the competition was fierce. There were five, ten students in the running for every ensemble opening, every recital, every role in every production. It seems hideous to you, perhaps, but many of the students felt that they needed an edge, and some of the faculty saw a way to provide it."

Kate's jaw was set, and Castle could see the muscles working under the skin as she forced herself to hold back whatever words were struggling to come out. He cleared his throat softly, bringing Professor Martinez's attention to himself.

"So, you went in on this?" Castle asked, hoping he sounded as nonthreatening as possible. "Buying drugs from Professor Forrester and reselling them to your students?"

"I agreed at first," Martinez said. Abruptly he leapt up from his chair and began to pace, showing the same sort of nervous energy that Kate had described from when she spoke to him the other day. "Bill convinced me that all of the rest of the faculty had already bought in," he went on. "Later, I realized that this was part of his deception. I don't know how many were actually participating, but it certainly wasn't everyone, and as for myself, I got out quickly. It didn't feel right." He heaved another sigh, straightened a painting on the wall. "A short while later, I heard through the grapevine that Bill had put an end to it. The story was that his source had dried up."

"And then he retired and died," Kate finished, her voice still tightly controlled. Martinez nodded.

"Yes. That was much later, however. I don't know that I would say it was related. He was older than any of the rest of us."

Castle's mind was whirling, but as usual it was Beckett who seemed to have the right questions. "Would you be able to give us a list of those who did participate in this?" she asked, her steely glare once again fixed on Martinez. He winced, and shook his head.

"I'm sorry. I really don't know. As I said, I suspected that it wasn't nearly as many as Bill implied, but as for specific names, I couldn't say. We were all... quite reluctant to talk about it."

"Mm," Kate said, her lips pursed.

"What... what are you going to do?" Martinez asked, hesitation showing in his voice for the first time. He moved back around his desk and sat down on his chair again. "Will you go to the police?"

"I'm not sure." Kate glanced over at Castle. "We..." She paused, and then finished, "We have a lot to discuss."

"Of course. Of course, certainly," Martinez agreed, nodding. "Well, you'll do what you must, Miss Beckett." He stared across the desk at her. "You really do look so very much like your mother."

* * *

 _Thank you all for reading!_

 _With apologies, my posting frequency will be slower from now, because I'm trying to stay ahead with the writing. Currently I am three chapters ahead of you and want to stay that way. Progress has been good and I still intend to post at least one chapter per week, and hopefully more. Thanks for being patient!_


	10. Chapter 10

_I write every day. I walk around in silent conversation with my latest unfinished songs._  
-Gord Downie

* * *

Back out in the hallway, Kate began to lead Castle toward the exit, but then she hesitated, looking across the corridor at Professor Ortega's door.

"What?" Castle followed her gaze, and raised his eyebrows in understanding. "You think Ortega was in on the drug ring? That would explain why she lied to us, and seemed so nervous."

"Yeah," Kate agreed. She would have liked to go back and press Ortega again, armed with the new information they had - but the professor's office was empty again, the light turned off. As Kate stood there, Professor Martinez emerged from his office with an armful of books, muttering to himself, and walked off toward the part of the building that held the classrooms. Other professors were coming out of their offices in a similar vein; it was almost time for the beginning of the next class period.

"They're all going to be in classes now," Kate observed. "We'll have to come back later if we want to talk to anyone again about this."

Castle nodded agreement, and followed her toward the exit at the opposite end of the hall. "That was out of left field, huh?" he said as they walked, keeping his voice down, even as the hallway emptied out. "Drugs? Who would have seen that coming?"

"Yeah." Kate frowned. The idea that professors would exploit their students for profit in that particular way was abhorrent - hideous, as Martinez had said - and although she knew she should keep an objective mindset, she very much wanted to believe the professor's story that the whole thing had only lasted a short time.

"It doesn't make sense, though," Castle said as they pushed through the door and out onto the sidewalk. "If Greg was part of this, he would have said something. He told us he couldn't think of anything he's done that would be blackmail-worthy, but selling drugs would definitely qualify."

"You're right," Kate said. "A lot of this doesn't make sense." She was still frowning, thinking it all over as they walked to the subway station and down the stairs.

They stepped onto a train, and just as the doors closed and the train began to pull away from the station, Castle leaned closer and said "Beckett" into her ear.

Jolted out of her musings, she looked up at him, and was surprised by the troubled look in his eyes. "What? What is it?"

Castle paused, his jaw moving silently for a moment, and finally said, "Roy probably knew about this drug ring, you know."

Kate stared at him, open-mouthed. That hadn't occurred to her, but of course Castle was completely right. Roy would have been there at the time.

"I... you don't think..." she said, shock beginning to give way to defensiveness. "Are you accusing Roy of something?"

"I'm just saying," Castle said, holding up both hands in a placating gesture. "If this Forrester asked everyone on the faculty to join his scheme, that included Roy."

Kate made a pained face. She couldn't believe that Roy would have participated in the drug-selling scheme... but Castle was right; Roy had to have known about it. Why hadn't he gone to the police?

She hated to think of it, but even more so, she hated the knowledge that she was going to have to ask Roy about it.

"I suppose it's too much to ask that we could solve this before I see him tomorrow?" she said, looking up at Castle with a wry twist of her lips. He gave her a sympathetic smile and put his arm around her shoulders as she leaned into him.

"Anything's possible," he said, and Kate felt the corners of her mouth curving upward despite herself.

"That's my eternal optimist," she said, turning her head to kiss his cheek.

The subway disgorged them outside the theater where the auditions were being held. They walked through the lobby, but instead of proceeding through the doors into the theater proper, Castle led Beckett through a side door to the small administrative area behind the box office.

"Here," he said, finding a small unoccupied conference room, which held a table and a few chairs. "Before we go in, let's check in with Greg."

Castle put his phone onto speakerphone mode and dialed Greg's number, and they listened to it ringing as they settled into the chairs.

"Hello? Castle?" came Greg's voice through the speaker. "What's up?"

"Hi, Greg. Kate's here with me," Castle said. "We just wanted to ask you about something we heard today."

"Sure. Go ahead."

"Tell us about the professors selling drugs out of Juilliard a few years ago," Kate said, opting for the direct approach. Castle raised his eyebrows, but said nothing - but they both heard Greg's startled intake of breath.

"Oh my god," he said. "I had totally forgotten about that. Oh my god. Did you - Do you think that's what all of this is about?"

"Were you part of it, Greg?" Kate asked.

"No, no. I wasn't. I knew about it, I mean, obviously I did. Bill Forrester came to me, same as he did to just about everyone, I guess. Asked if I wanted in, said he had a source, he could get the stuff for cheap. But I..." There was a pause, and Greg sighed heavily.

"Go on," Castle prompted.

Greg's voice was softer, more tentative when he resumed. "I can't say I wasn't tempted. I won't lie to you, Rick, Kate. I could have used the money, and I sure as hell knew students who would have bought. But I just, I don't know, it didn't feel right."

 _It wasn't right_ , Kate thought, but she bit down hard on her lower lip and said nothing.

"Okay," Castle said slowly, "well, that's a relief, Greg, but on the other hand, it just sort of deepens the mystery, doesn't it? If you didn't take part in the drug ring, then what are these threatening notes really about?"

"I don't know. I really don't." Greg sighed again. "I'm sorry."

"Did you ever talk to anyone else about it?" Castle tried, making eye contact with Kate and giving a little shrug to acknowledge that he was grasping at straws. "Maybe someone who was part of the whole thing, maybe you upset them by talking about it?"

"I guess it's possible." Greg sounded dubious. "I don't remember any specific conversations. I tried to stay away from it, honestly. I probably should have gone to the police, but Bill was so much higher up the food chain than me, and I was scared to rock the boat."

"Mm," Kate murmured. Much as she disliked it, she had to admit that she could understand the reasoning. The music world was so competitive, and a more senior colleague with a vendetta could easily torpedo the career of someone like Greg.

"It sounds pretty thin, doesn't it?" Greg said, sounding discouraged.

"Hey, don't give up yet, Greg," Castle put in quickly. "We're not letting this go. We'll figure it out."

"Yeah," Kate said, although she didn't share Castle's confidence. "But anything else you could remember about the drug ring would be useful. Like, any names of people who did participate, for example."

"Okay." Greg still sounded unhappy. "I'll think about it, but I wouldn't want to name any names unless I'm really sure, you know?"

"Of course. But if you think of anything else, anything at all."

"I'll let you know right away. Definitely."

"Sounds good," Castle said. "See you at the theater tomorrow."

"Right. See you then."

After they ended the call, Kate looked at Castle, and he looked back at her, both of them unsure what to say.

"This just seems so promising," Castle said, breaking the silence at last. "I mean, the notes have got to be connected to the drug ring somehow. Don't they?"

"It certainly seems like it," Kate agreed. "Even if it didn't go on for very long, like Professor Martinez claimed, it was still illegal, and we haven't come up with any other reason why someone would want to blackmail Greg."

"So what's our next move?" Castle picked up his phone from the table and slipped it into his pocket as they both stood up. "We could go back and question the professors again, now that we know about this. See if any of them act extra guilty."

"I guess," Kate said doubtfully. "It's too bad Forrester is dead. He was probably the only one who knew exactly which professors participated in selling the drugs."

"Yeah, not to mention the identity of his source." Castle's forehead creased in thought as he opened the door and ushered her out into the hallway. "Wait a minute..."

"Uh oh," Kate muttered, heading back toward the lobby. "I sense a crazy theory brewing."

"What if - hear me out, okay - what if Greg was the source of the drugs?" Castle exclaimed. He was following close behind her, speaking in a low voice, although there was almost no one around. "What if this whole thing is a scam and he's just using us to try to find out who else was in it? He only ever dealt with Forrester, so he didn't know who else was on the other end. So he gets us to investigate, dig up the dirt for him."

"Castle," she groaned. "That's just... diabolical. Greg isn't Jedediah Jones, you know."

"It would definitely be a scheme worthy of Jones," Castle mused as they crossed the lobby. "Think about it, Kate. He could-"

"Shush," she chastised as she pulled open the door to the theater. On the stage, a group of dancers were moving through a series of steps while the choreographer yelled instructions.

"Think about it," Castle said again, a whisper this time, right into Kate's ear as they started down the aisle.

"Okay, okay. I will," she whispered back, rolling her eyes.

They reached the front and found Carol Harcourt and the Rockefellers, Geoffrey and Alice, sitting in their accustomed spots at the front of the theater.

"Okay, that's great, thank you," Carol was calling out as they approached. The dancers stopped, panting. The choreographer said a few words to them, and they all listened, nodding.

"Rick, Kate, great timing," Carol said, standing up to greet them. "We're just wrapping up dancer auditions and getting ready to start on the big event." She turned to catch her assistant's eye. "I think all of our potential leads are here." Her assistant nodded acknowledgement and went backstage.

"Cool," Castle said, moving to his seat. "How'd it all go so far?"

"Fine. No surprises," said Geoffrey. "Good morning, Kate."

"Good morning," Alice echoed.

"Morning," Kate said, smiling and nodding to all of them.

As the dancers began to proceed off the stage, one of them came to the edge of the stage instead and gave Kate a wave. "Hey, girl," he said with a smile.

"Oh, hey, Javi," she exclaimed, smiling back as she looked up at him. "How've you been?"

"Awesome." He glanced over his shoulder. "I gotta run, but let's get a beer sometime soon, 'kay?"

"Sure. I'll call you-" Kate hesitated, and then took a chance, "-and Lanie, soon."

"Sounds great." He smiled widely and scurried off the stage.

Castle grinned at Kate as she took her seat next to him. "So, Lanie and Javier are back on again, huh?"

"So it seems," she agreed. "I just can't keep track with those two."

Castle was about to say something else, but he broke off as Carol's assistant came back onto the stage, leading Zachary Steele - the tenor they had chosen to play Jameson Rook - and the first of their two candidates for the role of Nikki Heat.

An audible gasp and murmur of surprise went around the theater as Natalie Rhodes emerged from the wings.

On Friday, at the first callback audition, Natalie had been dressed in casual but elegant bohemian style, her blonde hair beautifully coiffed, her makeup dramatic. But today, her hair was chestnut brown - the exact same shade as Kate's - and fell in simple waves to her shoulders; her makeup was minimal, and her clothing was an almost identical match to what Kate had worn on Friday. Dark-wash skinny jeans, a pale blue t-shirt, and she had even replicated the dark brown pumps with medium wedge heels that Kate had worn that day.

"So uncanny," murmured Alice Rockefeller from beside Kate.

"Spooky," her husband agreed.

"Sexy," Castle breathed.

Kate just gaped for a long moment, then leaned toward the others and demanded incredulously, "Is she... is she doing me?"

Onstage, Natalie stuck one hand in her rear jeans pocket and used the other to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. "Are we doing this?" she asked.

"Uh... yes," said Carol, recovering from her surprise. "Um. Is everyone ready?"

Natalie, Zachary, and the accompanist all nodded agreement. Carol glanced aside at the others, making sure there were no objections, and then called, "Okay, let's do it."

"Castle," Beckett hissed, leaning sideways again to smack her boyfriend's arm. "Stop drooling."

"Wha - I'm not - But," he protested inarticulately. Kate huffed and glared at him.

"Shut up and listen to them sing."

* * *

Castle was trying to pay attention to the performance, really he was. But as the accompanist launched into the intro, he couldn't seem to stop staring at Natalie. It was indeed uncanny how much she had made herself look like Kate; and more than that, it was clear that Natalie had managed to pick up a lot of Kate's body language in the brief time they'd interacted on Friday. Something in the way she was standing, the way she had pushed her hair behind her ear, and now the way she planted her hands on her hips, was so Kate-like and yet so subtly different that it had him completely fascinated, albeit in a train-wreck sort of way.

But then Natalie began to sing, and Castle blinked as if coming out of a dream. Natalie, of course, was an alto whereas Kate was a soprano, and their voices and singing styles were very different. He felt a twinge of relief.

For this audition, they had given Zachary and the two women the song that Castle still liked to call "The Cheeseburger Song," although it now had a real title: "You're Missing Out." It was a flirtatious song in which Jameson Rook tried to convince Nikki Heat that the night they had spent together wasn't a one-time thing. He invited her to join him for a burger, and Nikki pretended she wasn't hungry, although it was obvious that she was indeed very much interested - in both Rook and the cheeseburger.

Castle had fond memories of this song. He had composed the skeleton of it years ago, but it had been sitting dusty and forgotten in an old notebook until he met Kate and started writing his opera based on her. The same night he had kissed Kate for the first time, he'd pulled out the cheeseburger song and set about turning it into what it was now: a sweet, fun little duet for two characters who were just on the edge of beginning to admit that they might like each other.

Natalie had clearly studied the song in the few minutes she'd had it in hand. She did a reasonably good job with it, both the singing and the acting, circling toward Zachary and then away as the music brought their parts together and then apart again. In her grandiose way, she portrayed Nikki as standoffish - almost haughty - and defiantly resistant to Rook's charms, even as she was slowly being won over.

But the way Natalie had made herself look like Kate, and the way she continued trying to incorporate Kate's body language into her movements while she sang, quickly lost its appeal for Castle. Now that the initial feeling of intrigue had passed, he could see that it came off as creepy.

When Natalie tossed her hair back over her shoulder with a flick of her head for the fourth or fifth time, Kate grumbled under her breath, "Do I do that?"

"Yes," Castle whispered back, "and it's adorable."

Kate glared murderously at him. Fortunately, just then the two singers finished the song.

"Great," called Carol. "Thank you both. Natalie, thanks so much for coming back. We'll be in touch."

"Thank you all," Natalie replied, and with a final hair-flip, she strode offstage.

"Zachary, do you need a minute?" Carol asked.

"Nah, I'm good." The tenor leaned casually against the piano, running his eyes over the sheet music again. Since Zachary already knew that he had the part, he was relaxed, showing none of the tension that auditioning singers usually felt.

"Everyone ready for Chloe?" Carol asked, looking over at Rick, Kate, and the Rockefellers. They all nodded, so she signaled her assistant, and in a moment Chloe walked onto the stage.

"Good morning, everyone," she said with a pleasant smile. They all murmured greetings in response. Chloe shook Zachary's hand and gave the accompanist a nod. "I'm ready whenever you are," she said toward Carol.

"Great. Go ahead."

The accompanist began to play the song for the second time. Castle focused in on Chloe, who was dressed simply in a shift dress and leggings. Without the distraction of Natalie's Beckett-costume, he found it easier to see Chloe's personality - and Nikki's - coming through as she performed.

Chloe was on the short side, as she had pointed out the other day, but she nevertheless projected an attitude of self-confidence that fit very well with Castle's mental image of Nikki Heat - and that was completely different from Natalie's strutting and posturing. As the song progressed, Chloe made it clear that her version of Nikki Heat was not at all inclined to take any crap from Rook... yet, at the same time, she was definitely attracted to him.

Zachary, too, seemed to respond to Chloe's attitude. He portrayed Rook as thoroughly intrigued by Nikki, and unable to resist teasing her. He played up the mischievous side of the song, making it clear that Rook was deliberately pushing Nikki's buttons just for the fun of seeing her react. Castle found himself chuckling at a few points, and noticed that the others around him were laughing as well.

When the song was over, everyone was smiling, even the accompanist. Chloe and Zachary exchanged a few words, too low for the others to hear, and then turned to look at Carol again.

"Thanks very much," she told them both. "Chloe, we'll be in touch. Zachary, thanks for your help."

"No problem."

"Thank you," Chloe added, and the two singers walked offstage. The accompanist stood up to stretch.

"So?" Carol asked, turning back to the others. "Any thoughts?"

There was a pause, and finally Alice Rockefeller spoke up. "I think we're all thinking the same thing, aren't we?" she asked with a gentle smile.

"I hope so," Castle said, looking from one face to the next. "Natalie did a decent job, but Chloe _is_ Nikki Heat."

Kate broke out into a smile as all of the others nodded, looking relieved. "Yes," Geoffrey said decisively. "I think we're all agreed."

"Great," said Carol. "So that's the entire main cast finalized. That's all we've got for today. More dancers and chorus members to audition tomorrow."

"See you then," Castle said as they all stood up. "Thanks, everyone."

"Castle, do you have some time later today to come by our place and talk about the production?" Alice asked. "We've got some planning details that need to be worked out."

"Sure. Of course," he agreed, glancing at Kate. "You have a tutoring session this afternoon, right?"

"Yep," Kate nodded. "At three."

"How's three, then?" he said to Alice and Geoffrey, who both nodded as well.

"Sounds good, Rick. See you then."

Castle turned to Kate, and took her hand as they started walking up the aisle toward the theater exit.

"The tutoring will be an hour, right?" he asked. They pushed through the doors and into the empty lobby.

"Right," Kate confirmed. "And then I have to be at the _Carmina Burana_ rehearsal at six."

"They don't need you to be there right at the beginning, do they? All of your stuff is in part three."

"Yeah, but they're rehearsing out of order." Kate pulled open the front door, and they emerged onto the sidewalk. "They're doing the movements with the children's choir first, so the kids can get home before it gets too late."

"Ahh. Okay," he said. "So, do you want to go somewhere for lunch?"

"We could do that," Kate replied, pulling her lower lip between her teeth. She glanced sideways at him, coyly, with a twinkle in her eye. "Or we could go back to my place and get takeout."

"You have the best ideas," Castle exclaimed, and Kate chuckled, low and sweet.

* * *

A while later, Castle was drowsing on Kate's bed, watching her get dressed. She bit back a smile as she buttoned up her shirt. There was something so endearing about the soft, love-drunk expression on his face in moments like these.

"Don't fall asleep, babe," she warned, finishing the last button and turning to her closet for shoes. "You've got to be awake to meet with Geoffrey and Alice."

"I'm awake," he answered defensively. "I've got plenty of time." He ran a hand through his hair, still damp from the shower they had shared. "Maybe after I talk to them, I can do something else on the case. I could call Greg's last student back, I guess." He frowned, flopping over onto his back to stare at the ceiling. "But we need to dig into the drug angle some more. Maybe I could go back to the school and talk to the other professors again."

"Mm," Kate hummed. "By the time you're done with your meeting, the professors might have left for the day."

"That's true," he sighed, looking disappointed.

In truth, Kate wasn't sure it was such a good idea for Castle to go questioning the professors at Juilliard without her. And time was going to be short in between her tutoring session and the rehearsal. "Babe, maybe you should just leave the case alone for today," she suggested with a bit of hesitation. "After you finish with the Rockefellers, you can meet me for an early dinner."

"But we just had lunch."

"Yeah, but we barely ate any of it," she pointed out with a smirk. An answering grin began to spread across Castle's face, just as she had known it would.

"Good point. Although I did eat-"

"Castle!"

"Those appetizers," he said innocently, flashing her an angelic smile. "They were delicious."

Kate huffed and shook her head. "I bet they were. I've got to get going. Do you want to lock up here?"

"No, no." He jumped out of bed and reached for his jeans. "I'll walk you out. Just give me a minute."

* * *

 _Thank you again for reading! If you've seen me complaining on Twitter recently, rest assured that progress on this story continues to be good despite my occasional meltdowns. ;)_

 _Credit for the resurrection of the cheeseburger song goes to chezjulie._

 _Thanks also to those of you who left kind comments on my Absentia fic earlier this week. As I said in that a/n, I don't plan to make it a regular thing, and definitely am not done with Castle fanfic! But it was fun to branch out briefly._


	11. Chapter 11

_I needed to sing because nobody else was singing my songs._  
-David Bowie

* * *

A few hours later, Castle and Beckett were walking into the beautiful Geffen Hall in Lincoln Center. After Kate's violin tutoring session and Castle's meeting with the Rockefellers, they'd each had some errands to run, and then they had met up for a light meal.

Castle had noticed that Kate wasn't eating much at dinner. She usually preferred to eat lightly before singing anyway, and he knew that she was nervous about this rehearsal. He could see the tension at the corners of her eyes and in the set of her shoulders; but when they walked into the auditorium, some of that tension eased off. The familiarity of the scene - instrumentalists on stage tuning up, chorus members milling around at random, lights flickering as the lighting techs experimented with the settings - was already helping Kate to feel a little more relaxed. This was, after all, her natural environment.

They walked down the aisle toward the stage, looking around at the preparations being made. On a corner of the stage, a pair of harried older women were attempting to corral the children's choir into some semblance of order. About half of the chorus members were already onstage as well, chattering noisily as they found their seats; the rest were scattered throughout the auditorium, putting their belongings on audience seats. The conductor's podium sat at the front of the stage, empty, facing the orchestra members' seats arranged in a wide arc, with the chorus on risers behind. Three soloists' chairs were also at the front, next to the podium.

Castle was watching the percussionists wrestle the timpani into place when he heard, from behind him, a low rumble of Beckett's name followed by a delighted squeal from Kate. He turned, just in time to see his girlfriend get swallowed up into a hug - he hoped it was a hug - by an enormous bear of a man.

Castle's jaw dropped, but he noted that Kate appeared to be smiling, so perhaps she wasn't in imminent danger. In fact, she was hugging the colossus back. The guy really was enormous. It was rare for Castle, at six foot three, to feel small, and he was pretty sure he didn't like the sensation. Beckett, on the other hand, looked perfectly happy.

Was this it, then? After everything that they had been through, he was about to lose his girlfriend to a giant?

But then Kate disengaged herself, still smiling, and the mountain looked over at Castle. "Not fair," it rumbled. "You always get the cute ones, Beckett."

"The cute ones that like girls," she corrected, grinning. Castle felt a glimmer of hope take root in his chest. Did that mean what he thought it meant?

"Castle," Kate said, tugging at the mountain. Astonishingly, it moved, stepping closer to Castle at Beckett's urging. "I want you to meet Colm O'Leary, an old friend of mine from the early days in the orchestra. O'Leary, this is Rick Castle."

"I'm a big fan," O'Leary said, holding out a massive hand.

"I'll say," Castle marveled, accepting the handshake with some trepidation. His hand was almost completely swallowed up by the other man's paw, but O'Leary's grip was surprisingly gentle. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise." The giant smiled beatifically. "I was hopin' she'd bring you along so I could finally meet you." He looked sideways at Beckett. "Seein' as she never calls any more."

Beckett looked embarrassed. "Yeah, I've been pretty bad about staying in touch. Sorry."

"'Sokay. Least I got to see you on TV when you did the national anthem for the Mets." O'Leary shook his head sadly. "You couldn't get the Yankees, huh?"

Kate gasped in outrage. "Oh my god. Just for that, I'm not calling you for another year."

A strange, deep noise vibrated the floor under their feet. After a brief moment of confusion Castle realized that it was O'Leary laughing.

"So, uh…" Castle looked from O'Leary to Beckett and back, flummoxed. "Old friends, huh?"

"Yeah." Beckett poked the mountain in the ribs. "What're you doing here, anyway? I thought you weren't singing any more."

"Naw. Not regularly," O'Leary replied. "But this concert bein' such short notice, and the bass parts so tricky, they put out a call for basses who've done it before. Someone told 'em that I knew my wafnas, and here we are."

"Let me guess - bass two," Castle said, fascinated. He would swear he could feel the floor trembling every time O'Leary spoke, or shifted on his feet. It didn't seem possible that the giant could sing any voice part other than the absolute lowest one.

"Yep," O'Leary confirmed. "So," he added, looking at Beckett again, "d'you wanna go out for a beer after? _Bibit ista, bibit ille, bibunt centum, bibunt mille_ ," he sang in a deep, rich bass.

Kate laughed softly. "Sure. As long as Pete doesn't mind you staying out late." Castle breathed a quick sigh of relief. Yeah, that definitely meant what he thought it meant.

"As long as Castle don't mind _you_ stayin' out late," O'Leary shot back, turning toward Castle. "Or maybe he'll join us? Are you gonna stay for the rehearsal?"

"No, I'm not," Castle said, somewhat regretfully. Having determined that he didn't need to be jealous, he was quickly taking a liking to O'Leary. And the guy probably made an excellent drinking buddy. "But I can meet up with you after. I'd love to hear all your juicy stories about young Beckett."

Kate glared at him. "Dream on, Castle. O'Leary is sworn to secrecy. Honor among thieves, and all that."

"Yep. My lips are sealed," the mountain agreed, shooting Castle a wink over Kate's head.

"Well, we'll just see about that," Castle said with a grin. He leaned over to press a kiss to Kate's cheek. "I should get going. Text me when you're done and let me know where to meet you."

"I will," she agreed.

"Break a leg."

"Thanks." She was already turning toward the stage, pulling her score from her purse, as Castle turned to walk away.

* * *

Just a few moments after Castle left, the conductor, Pamela Dell, came over to greet Kate and thank her for coming. "Sorry it's a little disorganized," Pamela said with a melodramatic eyeroll. She suggested that Kate wait in the green room until the chorus and orchestra were ready. O'Leary had already gone to take his place with the rest of the chorus, so Kate left the auditorium and wandered around the backstage area until she found the room.

The tenor and baritone soloists arrived shortly after her, and they all introduced themselves. Unlike Kate, both men were seasoned singers, with long lists of impressive credits to their names. She couldn't help feeling a little intimidated, although they were perfectly friendly.

Fortunately, she didn't have to make small talk with them for very long before she was summoned back to the auditorium. Pamela wanted to begin the rehearsal with _Amor volat undique_ , a song for soprano and children's choir.

The butterflies began to flutter in Kate's belly in earnest as she stepped out onto the stage. Much as she told herself it was silly to be so nervous, she couldn't help it.

She had sung in front of large groups several times in the past year, but this felt different. For one thing, the orchestra was made up of mostly strangers, not the same familiar group that she had played violin with for so many years. For another, the conductor, Pamela, was well-known in the classical music world, well-connected, and very highly regarded. Kate very much wanted to make a good impression on her.

Besides, although this was just a rehearsal, she knew that the performance itself was going to be high-stakes - the governor's birthday concert, with an audience likely filled with his bigwig friends. If she messed this up in front of all those VIPs...

She had plenty of time to think about all of this while Pamela took the orchestra and the children's choir through the opening of the song several times. But at last Pamela said, "Okay, this time we're going to go on into you, Kate."

"Okay," Kate replied, and took a couple of deep, slow breaths. In her mind, as the orchestra started at the beginning again, she heard Roy's voice repeating one of his favorite mantras: _Breathe, and start singing with confidence no matter what you feel_.

What Kate felt was certainly not confidence, but she knew from long experience as concertmaster that pretending to be confident was almost as good. _Fake it till you make it, Kate_ , she told herself.

And then the moment was upon her; the flutes played a trill, and Kate began.

" _Siqua sine socio_ ," she sang, and her voice came out clear and true, with not a hint of hesitation.

But Pamela stopped the orchestra, and Kate felt herself tense up again, wondering what she had done wrong.

"Strings, a little too heavy right there," the conductor said. "I need you to back off a bit in measures 33 and 34. Okay? Let's try it again from the top of 29."

Kate smiled a little to herself in relief. Of course, finding the right balance between the orchestra and soloists was a big part of the purpose of these rehearsals. How many times had she gone through that process from the other side, seated in her place at the front of the violin section, working together with the conductor to find the right blend of all the parts?

Just like that, she felt the tension flow out of her, leaving only determination and, yes, confidence. She could do this. It was the same work she had always done, just in a different form.

The orchestra played the intro again, and she sang her part again, and together they filled the whole hall with sound.

* * *

Castle went straight home from the concert hall, already grinning to himself as he contemplated his plan for the evening. Kate had encouraged him to use her rehearsal time as an opportunity to spend some more time with his daughter; this was his only free evening of the week, and besides, there was only one more day before school started, after which he and Alexis would see even less of each other than they did now.

So, having verified earlier that Alexis didn't have plans to go out with her friends tonight, he returned to the loft and headed straight for his bedroom. There, after changing into loose shorts and a comfortable t-shirt, he opened a drawer and took out his laser tag gear.

He put on the vest, the elbow pads, the knee pads, and the headgear. Tucking his laser gun into its holster on his vest, he collected the second set of equipment and proceeded up the stairs.

Alexis's door was closed, and he heard the soft strains of Taylor Swift from behind it. He knocked sharply.

"Come in!" called his daughter's voice.

Castle opened the door, marched inside, and dumped his armload of gear onto Alexis's bed, where she was sitting with a book open on her lap.

"Suit up," he instructed. "You have two minutes." And he dashed for the door.

* * *

"Great rehearsal. Thank you so much, everyone," Pamela called, as the chorus members began to file offstage and the orchestra members packed up their instruments. "See you all on Friday."

Kate stood up, tucking her score under her arm, and tipped her head from side to side to stretch out her neck. She flashed a friendly smile at the other two soloists, who smiled and nodded back as they gathered up their own scores.

The rehearsal had gone well, she thought, although it had been a long night and everyone was tired and very much ready to stop for the day.

After doing the two movements that used the children's choir, Pamela had sent the kids home, and then had taken the orchestra and adult choir back to the beginning of the piece to run it through in order. Kate had sat in the audience for most of the first half; she knew that she could have gone back to the green room to relax, or even gone out for a short walk and come back, but she decided that she would rather stay and listen to the music, observe how all the parts fit together - the choir at the back, the orchestra in the middle, and the conductor at the front directing it all. It was all very familiar, but of course, every ensemble had its own character.

At the midway point, when Pamela had called for a break, several of the orchestra members had come over to say hi to Kate. They were former colleagues from the New York Symphony, or people she had played with in other contexts over the years. It was nice to see some friendly faces and to chat, although she was aware that everyone was hoping for some juicy gossip about her career change or her relationship status. No one asked outright, but their "How've you been?"s and their "So what's new?"s were particularly pointed.

Just a few months ago, the questions and the obvious curiosity would have bothered her, but not tonight. She was feeling good tonight, so she let it all just flow over her.

After the break, they had resumed, and Kate had finally gotten the chance to work through her three solos with Pamela and the orchestra. She focused her mind on the comments and suggestions that Roy had made the other day, and was pleased that the confidence she had found at the beginning of the rehearsal carried her through.

Now, as the rehearsal ended, she was tired, but in a good way. Even though it felt like everything was changing, this much was still the same - the process of making music, being part of an ensemble, feeling the music flow through her and ring out into the world. As long as she had that, she felt like she could handle anything.

She was still smiling ruefully at herself for those cheesy thoughts when Pamela, the conductor, came over to shake her hand. "Kate, it was nice to meet you," Pamela said, mirroring Kate's smile. "You sounded great tonight."

"Thank you," Kate said sincerely. "I'm really looking forward to this performance."

"It should be fun," Pamela agreed cheerfully. "See you Friday."

"See you Friday," Kate echoed, and turned away to gather up her belongings.

She was slinging her purse over her shoulder when O'Leary ambled over, his Carmina Burana score tucked into a folder under his arm. "Molloy's?" he suggested, and grinned widely when she rolled her eyes.

"You know there are hundreds of other bars in New York, right?" she teased as they fell into step, heading toward the exit.

"What'd I need other bars for when I already got one that I like perfectly well?" her enormous friend reasoned. "An' I don't even have to tell 'em what kind of beer I want."

That was hard to argue with, so Kate just shrugged and pulled out her phone to let Castle know where they would be.

* * *

"So, the student has become the master," Castle gasped, collapsing onto the sofa in a heap. Alexis stood over him, her laser gun still at the ready just in case he was faking her out.

"Best three out of five?" she offered, but Castle shook his head, reaching down to unfasten his kneepads.

"No, you have won fair and square, my young padawan, this time. Revenge will be mine on another day." He had just barely managed a win in the second round, but Alexis had thoroughly trounced him in the first and, now, the third.

"Sure it will, Dad." Alexis patted him on the head. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he grumped. "Don't mock your elders."

"Okay," she chirped, and began to remove her own gear. "I'll be upstairs if you need your butt kicked again."

Castle glared ineffectively at his daughter's back as she bounced up the stairs. Then he heaved himself up off the couch, gathered up all of the gear, and carried it to his bedroom, grumbling. He carefully stowed it all away and went to take a quick shower.

As he was drying off, his mind went back to the two songs he had started composing over the weekend. In all the activity, he hadn't even gotten around to transferring them onto his computer. As soon as he was dressed again, he went and retrieved the pages from his briefcase, and then settled down at the computer to enter the songs into his music software.

He still wasn't sure where these songs would end up. His advisors, publishers, and producers kept warning him that Broadway was not friendly to sequels - the success of the second and third Derrick Storm shows notwithstanding - and yet, he couldn't help feeling that there was at least one more Nikki Heat show to be made, after _Heat Wave_. The plot of that hypothetical show hadn't yet come to him - at least, not completely - but these two songs did give him some ideas for how it might turn out.

The first song, the one he had mostly written on Saturday morning, was a melancholy love song for a woman anxious to see her lover again after some time apart. Castle thought that she was at the airport, waiting for her man to return from a trip, and while she waited, she wavered between anticipation and frustration. There was some kind of trouble between them, the details of which Castle hadn't figured out yet, but it tempered the woman's excitement and made her song more complex.

The second song, the one that had woken him up in the wee hours on Sunday, was completely different in tone. It would be a big ensemble number near the beginning of a show, he thought. It introduced a trickster character, a troublemaker, who wandered through a crowd, spreading rumors and insinuations just for the fun of watching everyone react. Castle was already smiling as he copied the song into his software and began to fill in the parts that he hadn't yet gotten to.

A while later, his phone buzzed on the desktop, startling him out of his composing haze. He glanced at it and saw a text from Kate, telling him that the rehearsal was done and she was going for drinks with her friend the giant.

Castle hit the save button on his music and picked up his phone, quickly firing off a response. Then he stood up, stretched, and went to tell Alexis and Martha that he was going out.

* * *

"So," said O'Leary as he settled back into a booth at the bar, "dating a celebrity, huh?"

"Yeah," Kate said, looking suspiciously at him. "So?"

"Waallll," he drawled innocently, "just don't seem like your style, that's all. An' you been with him a long time, for you."

Kate hunched her shoulders defensively, staring down the neck of her beer bottle. "Yeah, well... it's different this time. It's different with Castle."

She didn't think her old friend had invited her out for drinks to dig for gossip; she knew he was just looking out for her. She had been there for O'Leary when he came out, and he had been there for her through any number of romantic entanglements of her own. So it was no surprise that he'd be giving her the third degree about Castle.

"Hmm," the giant hummed, causing the beer bottles to rattle on the table. "So, it's serious then?"

"Yeah," Kate said firmly. "It is."

O'Leary contemplated that for a few moments, while gulping down half his beer and a huge handful of nachos. Kate sipped her beer more slowly. She knew better than to try to match the mountain's consumption rate.

"Somethin's botherin' ya, though," he said eventually. "If it ain't him, it's still about him." His keen gaze pierced straight through her.

Beckett scowled. "You been reading the gossip pages, O'Leary?"

"Can't blame a guy for bein' interested when his pal is in the paper." O'Leary sucked down the rest of his beer and signaled for another. He didn't repeat the non-question; it hung in the air between them, patiently waiting.

Kate glared at him for a long moment, but then of course she relented, sighing. "Look, it's just... I'm making this huge career change, you know? And that means having to prove myself. I understand that. I went through it when I started in the orchestra, I can go through it again as a singer. That's how things work."

"But," O'Leary prompted softly.

"But..." She sighed again. "It feels like I have to prove myself twice over. Not just that I have what it takes as a singer, but that I'm doing it on my own merit, not because of who I'm dating."

"Right." O'Leary nodded, his expression deceptively mild. "An' does he make you feel like you have to prove yourself to him?"

"No! That's... that's not what I meant," Kate protested, frowning. "He isn't like that. It's not like that between us."

O'Leary said nothing, just raised his eyebrows at her.

"Castle has been nothing but supportive of me from the beginning," she insisted. "He loves me. And I love him."

She stopped, blinking hard, surprised by herself, by the force with which the words had come tumbling out.

"Waal," O'Leary said, leaning back in his seat with an infuriatingly self-satisfied smile. "Guess it _is_ serious then."

Kate was still staring at him, open-mouthed, when Castle slid into the booth beside her.

* * *

Castle was a little surprised to arrive at the bar and find Kate and her mountainous friend deep in what appeared to be a serious conversation. He had expected something more along the lines of laughing and carousing. As he slid onto the bench and put his arm around Kate, he could feel the tension in her body, and, judging by her expression, O'Leary must have just said something she hadn't expected.

But in another instant she snapped her mouth shut and turned to greet Castle, with a smile that looked genuine. "Hey, babe."

"Hey." He kissed her cheek, nodded a greeting to O'Leary, and signaled the waitress for a beer. "How was the rehearsal?"

"Good. Really good," Kate said, some of the strain melting out of her smile. She spoke softly, as she always did when her voice was tired after a strenuous singing session, but her face was animated. "We went through everything pretty thoroughly. It was a great start." She glanced over at her friend and added teasingly, "The chorus sounded okay, I guess."

"You think yer so funny," O'Leary smirked. "That's 'cause you can't see the faces we make when your back's turned to us."

"Hey, come on," Castle protested. "Making faces at the performers is totally the conductor's prerogative."

They all laughed, and the ice was broken. Whatever uneasy atmosphere had developed before Castle arrived, it dissipated now as the old friends fell into comfortable reminiscing. Castle was happy to sit back and listen to their stories, occasionally contributing one of his own into the mix. Eventually O'Leary turned the topic of conversation to Castle, asking him about his shows; he was pleasantly surprised to find that the mountain was familiar with his work.

An hour or so went by in this way; beer bottles arrived, were emptied and removed; the first plate of nachos disappeared, and then the second.

But at last they all looked at the time and exclaimed over it, and O'Leary said in his deep bass, "I better be gettin' back."

"Tell Pete I'm sorry for keeping you out so late," Kate said with a soft, affectionate smile, which quickly hardened into a narrow-eyed glare when the giant reached over and patted her on the head.

"I will. You get some rest, Beckett."

They all stood up, and Beckett hugged O'Leary, and Castle shook his hand. "Nice chatting with you. Any time you want to see _Storm Surge_ , just give me a call. I'll get you some comps."

"I'll do that. Thanks," the mountain rumbled.

A few minutes later, Castle and Beckett were climbing into a taxi together. "Your place or mine?" he asked as they settled onto the seats.

"Mm," Kate murmured, stifling a yawn. "Did you get enough quality time with Alexis?"

"Plenty. We played three rounds of laser tag," he replied. "Anyway, she's probably asleep by now, and Mother was staying in for the night."

Kate herself was almost asleep by now, snuggled against his shoulder. "Mine then," she slurred, so Castle leaned forward slightly to give her address to the cabbie.

When he leaned back again, Kate burrowed further into him, her eyes closed. Castle closed his own eyes as well, beginning to feel the pull of weariness in his bones. It had been a long few days. A tired silence stretched out in the back of the cab as it bounced and swerved its way along the streets of New York.

"You're so good to me," Kate murmured against Castle's chest, her voice almost a whisper.

Castle's eyes popped open again in surprise. "What?"

She lifted her head, blinking sleepily, but focusing in on his face, her expression serious. "Do I make you feel unappreciated?"

"What?" he said again. "Kate, no, of course not."

"You do so much for me," she slurred, her head falling to his shoulder again. Castle frowned at the ceiling of the taxi, trying to puzzle out what she was saying.

"I just love you," he said, bemused. "And you love me back. That's all I need."

"Mm," she mumbled into his shirt. "Always love you back."

Castle still wasn't sure exactly what she was talking about, but they were both too tired to pursue it. By the time the taxi had let them off at Kate's building and they had made their way to her apartment, they were both yawning. They took turns in the bathroom and climbed into Kate's bed, snuggling up together again.

"So much better than a taxi," Castle sighed in contentment. Kate gave a quiet, sleepy chuckle.

"Night, Rick," he heard, faintly, as her body went limp against his.

"Night, Kate," he breathed into her ear as sleep dragged him down with her.

* * *

 _As always, thank you for reading!_

 _Thanks to Garrae for graciously granting permission for her OC, O'Leary, to visit this universe. Check out her stories for more of him._

 _The bit of song that O'Leary sings in this chapter is from movement 14 of Carmina Burana and translates roughly as "This person drinks, that person drinks, a hundred people drink, a thousand people drink." The bit of song that Beckett sings in this chapter is from movement 15 and translates roughly as "If a girl has no boyfriend, she is completely lacking in joy." As for wafna, it is a medieval expletive or exclamation of dismay, roughly equivalent to the modern "FML."_


	12. Chapter 12

_Short swallow-flights of song, that dip_  
 _Their wings in tears, and skim away._  
-Tennyson

* * *

On Tuesday morning, Kate was up first as usual. Castle woke to the sound of the shower, and roused enough to make a pot of coffee before she was done. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, sipping from his mug, when Kate emerged, wrapped in her fluffy robe.

"Morning," she said, her eyes lighting up when she saw the second mug on the nightstand. She made a beeline for it and took a slow sip, closing her eyes briefly in pleasure. "Thanks, babe."

"Morning, and you're welcome," he answered. He drained his cup, put it down, and reeled her in, tugging her closer to the bed, between his knees.

She smiled down at him, bending her head to brush her lips across his before straightening back up to take another sip of coffee. "Don't you want to shower?"

"Later." He took the cup from her hand, twisted to place it back on the nightstand, and then tugged at her hand again, pulling her off-balance. She squealed in surprise as her body hit the mattress, with Castle quickly rolling over her, bracing himself on his elbows above her.

"Good morning," he said again, and kissed her deeply. Her hands slid into his hair and she kissed him back. But when his hands began to roam, she disengaged and glared at him with narrowed eyes.

"Castle, I just got out of the shower."

"I know," he grinned, slipping a hand inside her robe. "You're all warm and soft and-"

"And we have a lot to do today," she interrupted, although he noticed that she wasn't making much effort to push him away.

"Mm. It can wait." He kissed her again, but then her words began to sink in. "Oh," he said, frowning. "We do have a lot to do."

Kate rolled her eyes lightly. "That's what I said."

"Yeah." He moved off of her, lying on his side next to her, his hand still on her hip as he contemplated the day in front of them. "Do you have a lesson with Roy today?"

Kate nodded. "I spoke to Evelyn this morning and she gave the go-ahead."

"That's good, right? He must be doing better."

"I think so," she agreed. "The doctors put him on a special diet to control his blood pressure, and between that and not being allowed to work for three weeks, Evelyn said he's pretty cranky. So she thought that doing my lesson would help his mood. I'm a distraction, in other words," she concluded with an amused smile.

"You're my favorite distraction," Castle replied, grinning. But then, turning serious, he asked, "Are you going to ask him about the drug ring and all of that?"

Kate's expression turned grim. "I guess I have to," she sighed. "I just... I hate to risk upsetting him too much. But we need to know."

"Yeah," Castle said. "We're getting nowhere on this case." He flopped over onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. "We still have some loose ends to follow up on, but aside from that, I'm stumped. How can we figure out which professors were involved with the drugs? And what about Forrester's source? If we could identify who it was, maybe that would get us somewhere."

"But there's no way to do any of that, with Forrester dead," Kate said.

"Yeah. Ooh!" he exclaimed as a new thought struck him. "Maybe Forrester faked his own death and it's actually him sending the notes."

Kate laughed. "Sure, babe. Except that Forrester would know Greg didn't participate in the drug ring, so there would be no reason to blackmail him."

"Maybe the notes were meant for someone else and Greg got them by accident."

"They were in envelopes with Greg's name written on them," Kate pointed out. Castle groaned and pouted.

"Come on, Beckett. I liked that theory."

"Sorry," she smirked. "But... maybe all we can do is wait for the next note to show up." She rolled onto her side, reversing their positions from a moment ago. Now she was the one looking down on Castle, and bending her head to kiss him. "If the blackmailer follows the typical mystery-novel pattern, there should be another note soon," she said against his lips.

Castle lifted his hand and tangled his fingers in her hair, pulling her mouth down onto his again. "That's true," he said breathlessly between kisses. "The next note would specify an amount of money, and when and where to deliver it."

"Mm-hmm," she hummed in agreement, kissing him more deeply, pressing her body against his.

"But we can't just wait around for that, Beckett. We have to _do_ something."

"We are doing something, Castle. Pay attention," she husked with a glint in her eye. The robe slipped off her shoulders and slid away as she rolled on top of him.

* * *

Kate pretended to be annoyed about needing a second shower, but it was all for show and she knew that Castle knew it. Still, she drew the line at showering together. They did have an agenda for the day, after all.

When they were finally clean and dried off, they settled in at the kitchen table to make a modest breakfast out of bagels that Kate had bought the other day.

"What was that all about last night?" Castle asked as Kate was spreading cream cheese on her bagel.

"Hmm?" she said. "What do you mean?"

"In the taxi," he clarified. "You asked me if I feel unappreciated."

"Oh." Kate felt her face flushing. She hadn't meant to let that out, but the beer and the weariness had made her sappy. "That was nothing. No big deal."

"Didn't sound like nothing," he pressed. Kate dragged her eyes from the bagel and forced herself to look at him. He was gazing at her with that soft, sweet look of his, the one that made her stomach flip. The one that - as Lanie and then O'Leary had pointed out - usually made Kate go running for the hills. But not any more.

"I just..." She waved a hand in the air, unable to find the right words. "I just don't want you to think that..."

"Kate." Castle reached out, capturing her gesturing hand and bringing it to his lips. "You know it's not a competition, right?" When she didn't answer, he went on, "We both put work into this relationship. I'm the grand romantic gesture type, and you're not, but that doesn't mean you aren't giving me anything. Right?"

"Yeah..." she murmured, though she was aware that she didn't sound convinced. She stared down at their entwined hands.

"You think I don't know how hard you've been working to open yourself up for me?" he said softly.

Kate let out a little gasp as the words hit home. She hadn't even realized it, but... it was exactly what she needed to hear.

She lifted her head and met Castle's eyes. To her surprise, he wasn't smiling; his expression was entirely serious.

"We're partners, Kate," he said. "We're in this together."

"Partners," she repeated. She squeezed his fingers, and he squeezed back.

Then the grin she'd been expecting crept onto his face. "Besides," he said more lightly, "you secretly love the grand romantic gestures. And I love doing them."

"Not so secretly," she put in, feeling her own answering grin beginning to grow. He chuckled softly and nodded.

"Exactly. See, it all works out."

"I really love you, you know that?" she sighed, releasing his hand to pick up the cream cheese knife again.

His grin widened, and he nodded, reaching for his coffee cup.

"I love you too."

As they resumed eating, they both found themselves thinking about Greg's mystery again, and they discussed the case the whole time they were eating the bagels, but to no avail; they still had no new useful ideas.

When they had finished their bagels and cleared up, Kate nudged Castle to the bedroom to finish getting dressed. "You promised to go see the last of the dancer auditions," she reminded him.

"I know, I know." His thoughts were clearly still whirling around and around with questions about the case.

"While you're doing that, I can still get in an hour of violin practice before I go over to Roy's."

"I'll meet you there after your lesson," Castle decided. "We can get lunch and figure out what to do next, depending on whether Roy gives you anything new."

"Right." She sighed, feeling the corners of her mouth turn down at the reminder. She really wasn't looking forward to that conversation with Roy.

Leaving Castle to get dressed, she went back out to the living room and took out her violin. Her hands moved almost on autopilot, removing the instrument and bow from their case, checking and tightening the strings. She was still thinking about Roy, and the professors selling drugs at the school, and everything.

"Hey," Castle said, giving her a curious look as he appeared by her side. "Daydreaming?"

"Hmm? Oh... yeah, I guess," she admitted, flushing. There was something odd in her boyfriend's eyes, and she tilted her head at him, lifting her eyebrows inquisitively as she tucked the violin under her chin.

"The way you look at your violin," he mused. But he left the sentence unfinished, studying her as she turned her own gaze to the instrument. She ran her eyes down the length of it, past the bridge, the strings, her fingers on the neck, the tuning pins at the end.

It was an old friend, this violin, and more than that - a companion; a partner. It was so much more than just a piece of wood. But it also wasn't what it had once been, for her.

"It'll always be a part of me," she murmured, and turned her head back to Castle, who was nodding.

"Yeah." His eyes were distant, and she carefully laid her violin back down before turning fully to face him.

"Castle?"

He blinked, focusing in on her again. "Sorry. I... just some new ideas."

"Another song?"

"Not exactly." A slight frown creased his forehead. "I'm not sure yet." He glanced at his watch. "But I should get going."

"Right." Kate looped her arms around his waist and turned her face up for a kiss, which he gladly provided. "I'll see you after my lesson."

"Yep."

After Castle had left, Kate picked up the violin again, carrying it over to the piano to tune it. She took out her Haydn scores and began working through the symphonies. The music wasn't too complicated, but there were some tricky spots. It kept her thoroughly engrossed for an hour or so.

Then she put the violin away and did a few yoga stretches and some vocal warmups. She was in the bedroom, getting ready to change her clothes, when the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Girl, you are in such trouble."

Kate winced. "Oh, hey, Lanie."

"Don't you 'oh hey Lanie' me. I have to open up the newspaper to find out that you patched things up with Castle?" She could just picture her friend standing with hand on hip, eyes narrowed in disapproval.

"Yeah... sorry about that. Really." Kate grimaced. "I should have called you."

"Damn right you should've." But then, predictably, Lanie's tone softened. "So things are okay again, huh? Javier said you two looked pretty happy yesterday."

"Yeah." A soft smile curved Kate's lips. "Yeah, we talked things out and we're good. "

"Actually talked? You, Kate Beckett? Talked about feelings?"

"Shut up," she grumbled, shaking her head when her friend's mellow laugh rang through the line.

"Good for you, girlfriend. Maybe you'll make this one work after all," Lanie teased. "So, we going out again or what?"

"Oh, I'd love to," Kate said, "but this week is going to be so busy getting ready for the concert. Next week would be better."

"Okay. Text me."

"I will."

Kate was smiling when she hung up the phone, but then she glanced at the clock and whirled into action. It was time to get dressed and head out to Roy's house.

* * *

Castle called Alexis from the taxi again, just to check in. It was the teen's last day of freedom, and she had a full schedule planned: last-minute shopping with friends, lunch with other friends, and then an afternoon of putting together her backpack, which was apparently a very important part of the school prep process.

"I might not have time to get home before the show tonight," he told her apologetically, but Alexis was unfazed.

"That's okay, Dad. I won't wait up. I need my rest for the big day."

"It's unnatural for a child to be this excited about starting a new school year, you know," he teased.

"I know, I'm the black sheep of the family," his daughter replied cheerfully, and he was chuckling as they said their goodbyes.

As the taxi wove its way toward the theater, Castle checked his watch and pursed his lips as he thought about the other errand he wanted to complete today, or soon. Really, they didn't need him for dancer auditions, did they? He could be a few minutes late, for something this important.

He leaned forward to call through the plastic divider that separated him from the cab driver. "Hey, sorry, but can we make a quick detour? It's just a couple of blocks over."

* * *

Roy himself opened the door for Kate this time, giving his usual restrained smile as he welcomed her inside. On the phone earlier, Evelyn had said that he was "feeling just better enough to be a menace - to himself and everyone around him." He certainly looked better than he had on Saturday, and seemed to be in good spirits.

The hard-backed chair was still sitting in front of the piano, and Roy's _Carmina Burana_ score was open on the piano's music stand. "How was the rehearsal? Let's hear it," he said as he took his seat.

Kate sat on the piano bench next to his chair again, and told him all about the rehearsal. Roy nodded in recognition when she mentioned the names of the conductor and the other two soloists, and listened thoughtfully to her rundown of the movements. He asked how she had felt about the orchestra, the conductor, and the acoustics of the hall, which he was quite familiar with, of course. Then he quizzed her about her trouble spots in each song.

Satisfied with her answers, he nodded and gestured for her to stand up and begin her breathing exercises.

They worked through each of Kate's solos in turn. She could tell from how quickly Roy took her through the songs that he was pleased with her performance. If he had been dissatisfied, he would have stopped her more often, made her repeat particular phrases again and again.

After they had done all of the songs, Roy pulled out another score and handed it to her. "I know you're fully focused on this concert," he said, "but here's something to start looking at for afterward. Don't worry about it too much for now. Just take a look when you get a chance."

"Okay." She glanced at it, noting the title - _Una voce poco fa_ , by Rossini - and tucked it away.

"Kate..." Roy heaved a deep sigh, and when she looked up from her purse, she caught her breath at the look on his face. She had never seen such raw distress from her normally stoic teacher.

"Roy?" she gasped. "What is it?"

"We need to talk," he said, his voice strained. Those ominous words, the same ones he had spoken in his message last week, sent a chill down her spine. Roy placed his hands carefully on the armrests of the chair and pushed himself up to his feet, scowling when she reached out a hand in an attempt to help.

Kate felt her gut twisting with apprehension, not knowing what was to come. She followed Roy as he moved around the chair, away from the piano, heading toward the small sofa against the rear wall of the room.

He lowered himself onto the sofa, not looking at her, but waiting until she came over and hesitantly sat down beside him. Her hands were trembling with nervousness. Whatever it was, it had Roy more upset than she had ever seen him, and she just knew it was going to be bad.

"There's something you should know," Roy said at last, staring down at his hands in his lap, "about your mother's death."

Kate swallowed with difficulty, her throat suddenly dry. She took her water bottle out of her purse and sipped from it slowly, the lip of the bottle clattering against her teeth as her hand shook.

"I," Roy started, and stopped, took a slow breath, tried again. "I think you know, maybe, that your mom had struggled with anxiety. Depression."

Kate nodded slowly. This news had been a shock to her after Johanna's death, but by now she had had years to come to terms with it.

"Well," Roy continued, "at some point she asked her doctor to prescribe Valium for the anxiety she was having. It was keeping her up at night; she wasn't sleeping well. She thought she needed some pills to help her relax enough to sleep. But the doctor said no."

Kate's eyes were wide. She twisted the water bottle in mindless circles in her hands, her gaze glued to Roy's face. He still didn't look at her, his eyes unfocused, his mind far away, in the past.

"The doctor wanted her to try other solutions for the insomnia, before she started with meds," he said. "Relaxation therapy, meditation, stuff like that. She had already been doing those things, and it wasn't helping. The doctor said she needed to give it more time." Roy snorted softly. "Johanna was... not patient."

That sounded familiar. Kate tried to smile despite the foreboding atmosphere. When it came to her greatest passion - making music - Johanna Beckett had had an incredible capacity for hard work and persistence; but in her personal life, she could be infuriatingly impatient.

"Well." Roy shook his head. "She tried everything to change the doctor's mind, even tried going to a different doctor, but no luck. She was so frustrated."

Kate felt tears beginning to gather, thinking about her mother seeking help and being stymied. It didn't make sense. Kate knew - although she hadn't known at the time - that her mother had been seeing a psychiatrist, trying to work on her problems and get better. She had kept it very quiet, letting no one know how much she was struggling - not even her husband, although Jim did know that she was in therapy.

After Johanna's death, Kate had spent hours trying to think back over every interaction, every incident or moment in time that she could remember, straining her memory for any signs of how bad things had been for her mom. She hadn't been able to find any. But of course, she'd been just a teenager, wrapped up in her own life, and Johanna had put a lot of effort into concealing her problems - from her daughter as well as everyone else.

But Kate couldn't understand why Roy was telling her this now. There had to be more to the story than this. She lifted her head and looked at Roy's face again, and was shocked to see shiny streaks of wetness glistening on his cheeks.

Kate stared at him, aghast. She had never seen Roy cry - never, not even at Johanna's funeral.

"Roy," she said, her voice coming out as a hoarse croak. She tried to clear her throat. "What are you telling me?"

"It was me," he said, the words rasping harshly in his throat. He met her eyes at last, a strange mixture of determination and despair in his gaze. "It was my fault. I got her the Valium, god help me. I did it."

The breath seemed to leave Kate's body. She put out her hand, pressing it into the couch cushion beside her hip in an attempt to steady herself. "You what?"

"I had a source," Roy said, heaving a deep, painful sigh. "A guy who could get the pills without a prescription. I wanted - I wanted to help. I didn't understand." He let out a groan, almost a sob. "I didn't know how bad it was. I thought she just needed a little help getting to sleep, that's all. What was the harm? Get her a few pills. She'd get some rest and feel better, wouldn't need them any more, everything would be fine."

The tears spilled free at that, running down Kate's cheeks. "But she took them all," she said in a small, thready voice. "She swallowed them all at once and she..."

"Yes. Yes." Roy lifted a hand to his face, covering his eyes. "I didn't know. God forgive me, I should have known."

Kate's gut was roiling as she tried to process what Roy was saying. She had the fleeting thought that she was supposed to say _You couldn't have known_ or even _It's not your fault_ , but the words wouldn't come. Shock and grief overshadowed everything else in her mind.

"I never should have interfered," Roy groaned, dropping his hand, looking at her with anguished eyes. "The doctor knew what he was doing, I didn't. I was so stupid."

"Kate?"

She jumped at the sound of her name, looking up in surprise to find Castle and Evelyn standing in the doorway. She hadn't even heard the doorbell.

"Kate," Roy said, reaching out a hand. He touched her arm and she jerked backward, shaking him off. "Kate, please, I'm so sorry."

"I can't," she choked out. "I can't, I need to-" Overwhelmed, she jumped up and fled.

Her vision was blurry with tears, but she made it out of the house and down the sidewalk for half a block before she stopped, unsure where she was going. Castle was calling her name from behind her, and he came rushing up a moment later, breathless.

"Kate!" He took hold of her shoulders, staring worriedly into her tear-soaked face. "What happened?"

A sob escaped her throat. She clung to Castle, burying her face in his shirt.

"Hey. Come on. Come here, sweetheart." Castle led her to a nearby bus stop and coaxed her down onto the bench. "Kate, tell me what happened."

Taking deep breaths, trying to get herself under control, she managed to get out a summary of what Roy had said. She could feel her mind going numb, trying to reject the knowledge, trying not to let it sink in. She didn't want to know these things about Roy, about her mother. A fresh burst of tears escaped, and Castle wiped them away gently with his fingertips.

"How could he do this?" she whispered, staring into Castle's face. His forehead was creased with concern, his eyes troubled. He didn't answer immediately, just stroked his thumb along her cheekbone and shifted closer to her on the bench, his other arm coming around her shoulders. She leaned against him, taking another shaky breath.

"I guess... people will do anything when someone they care about is in pain," Castle said after a moment. He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I know it seems terrible now, but he was just trying to help."

Kate closed her eyes. Deep down, she knew that Castle was right. Of course Roy would never have intentionally done anything to hurt Johanna.

But Kate wasn't sure she was ready yet to see it that way. Roy's revelations had reopened the wound of losing her mother, and the grief was squeezing at her heart all over again.

"I just miss her so much," she whispered.

Castle's arm tightened around her. "I know," he said.

They sat in silence for another long moment. Kate's head was spinning. Her mind kept drifting to the things Roy had said, and then shying away again, unwilling to face it.

"Kate?" Castle said eventually, his voice low, a little hesitant.

"Yeah?"

"Did you..." Castle paused, and she heard him swallow carefully. "Did you ask Roy about the drug ring at the school? Is that how all of this came out?"

Kate sat up straight, her eyes popping open. She felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped down her spine. "No," she said. Her throat was tight with tension. "I didn't get around to it. He just started talking."

She lifted her gaze to Castle's face. His eyes were wide and serious.

"If he got the Valium from Forrester..." he said, and trailed off, frowning with concern. Kate could see that he was reluctant to finish the sentence, for fear of upsetting her more.

"But that was years ago," she said slowly. Her brain felt thick and slow; it was hard to think. "My mom died more than ten years ago, and the drug ring was more recent than that."

"We don't know that for sure," Castle said carefully. "Martinez said 'a couple of years' but considering how scatterbrained he is, maybe that was just a figure of speech."

Kate blinked slowly, brought one still-trembling hand up to rub her forehead, wiped the last remnants of moisture from her cheeks.

"We have to go back," she murmured. "Get the rest of the story."

"Are you sure?" Castle leaned forward and brushed a lock of hair back off her face. "It could wait."

She took another deep breath. "No." Her eyebrows drew downward. More tears were pressing at the backs of her eyes, threatening to break free, but she straightened her shoulders and clenched her jaw. "No, it can't wait. We need to know."

* * *

 _Thank you as always for reading._

 _If you are suffering from depression or anxiety, or thoughts of hurting yourself, please, reach out to someone. Help is out there. In the USA, call 800-273-8255 if you need someone to talk to._


	13. Chapter 13

_The music in my heart I bore,_  
 _Long after it was heard no more._  
-William Wordsworth

* * *

Evelyn Montgomery's expression was wary when she opened the door to Castle and Beckett again. "I think he's had enough upset for one day," she said.

"Please, Evelyn. I need to know the rest," Kate said quietly. Castle could hear the tension in her voice, tightly controlled.

Evelyn looked at Kate's puffy, reddened eyes, her tearstained cheeks, the set to her jaw. The older woman sighed and pressed her lips into a thin line, but she took a step backward, opening the door wider so they could come in.

"Thank you," Kate murmured as they entered.

Roy was in the kitchen, making herbal tea. Tentative hope flashed in his eyes when he looked up and saw them entering.

"Kate," he said, his hands going still.

"Did you get the Valium from William Forrester?" Kate blurted out without preamble, startling them all. "You must have known about him. About what he was doing."

Roy stared at her for a long moment. "Yes," he said finally. "I knew."

"Why didn't you report him?" Kate demanded. "Why didn't you go to the police, or even the school administrators?" Her cheeks were flushed now, grief turning to defensive anger. Castle could see her hands clenched into fists by her sides, and he reached out, touching her shoulder lightly.

"Kate, stay calm," he said softly. Her frown deepened, and she shot a glare sideways at him, but her fists slowly unfurled.

"I should have reported him," Roy said. "I thought about it long and hard, believe me." Castle saw Evelyn nodding her head slowly in the background. "He had so much seniority, and I knew that everyone else was too scared to say anything. I had some clout, but I just didn't know who was more likely to be believed - him or me."

Kate just stared at him, distress still written all across her face.

Roy sighed and broke eye contact, spooning honey into two cups of herbal tea. He pushed one across the countertop toward Kate.

"I was indecisive," he said, stirring the other cup, his gaze still focused on his hands. "I couldn't figure out what to do. And that's when Johanna came to me."

"And you realized that if Forrester could get cocaine, he could probably also get Valium without a prescription," Castle filled in. Roy nodded slowly.

"I knew it was wrong," he said in a low voice. "Of course I knew that. Just the day before I'd been telling him how unethical it was, and thinking about ratting him out - and then I turn around and ask him to get me something?" He grimaced, lifting his head to meet Kate's eyes again at last. "I can't make excuses, Kate. It was wrong."

"Roy," Evelyn said, sounding shocked. "You never told me this."

Kate reached out and took the second mug. Her hands were trembling slightly, but she lifted it to her lips and took a sip.

"I never told anyone," Roy said. "I thought... After Johanna..." He swallowed heavily. "After Johanna died, I went to Forrester and told him it had to stop. The whole thing. I said I would go to the police if he didn't shut it down immediately. I didn't care what happened to me at that point. It had to stop."

"And it did," Castle said. "He shut it down."

Roy nodded again. "He told everyone that his source had dried up, so that no one would make the connection. And that was the end of it."

"The end of it," Kate repeated under her breath, frowning into the teacup.

Evelyn crossed the room, moving around Castle and Beckett to stand by her husband's side, putting a hand on his arm. They looked at each other, communicating without words.

Castle looked at Beckett; she was still drinking the tea, her eyes unfocused, and he wasn't sure what she was thinking. But there was more to the story that they still needed to fill in. So Castle cleared his throat, bringing Roy's and Evelyn's attention to him.

"Roy," he said carefully, feeling like he was tiptoeing around a minefield, "why now? All these years you've kept this secret."

Kate's head came up, glancing at Castle in surprise before turning to her mentor to see his reaction.

"Well, I-" Roy began, but then stopped, giving Castle a surprised look of his own. "How did you know about- I got a letter," he interrupted himself. "Last week, in my mailbox at the school. From someone who knew. A threat."

"What?" Evelyn said in alarm. He put his hand over hers where it still rested on his arm, squeezed her hand briefly, then reached into his pants pocket.

The sheet of paper that Roy took from his pocket was identical to the one Greg had shown Castle and Beckett on Friday. When Roy unfolded it, they saw the exact same words as on the first letter Greg had received.

 ** _I KNOW WHAT YOU DID  
_ _AND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY_**

Castle felt his jaw drop at the sight. Kate reacted with equal surprise, blinking in astonishment and turning to look at him again.

"Someone out there knows about this somehow," Roy said, as Evelyn took the note from his fingers and stared at it. "I don't know who, or what they're thinking of doing, but as soon as I saw this I knew it was time to come clean."

Castle met Kate's eyes and saw that she was thinking the same thing he was: this was bigger than they had realized. But Kate gave the tiniest shake of her head, and he understood her meaning; she didn't think they should tell Roy that Greg had received an identical note.

Castle wasn't sure he agreed, but on the other hand, Roy was still recovering, and they couldn't risk upsetting him too much.

"Do you, uh..." Castle licked his lips, trying to select his words with care. "Do you have any idea who sent this?"

"No. None." Roy took the piece of paper back from Evelyn, re-folded it, and put it back in his pocket. "It could be any one of a number of people who were around at the time, who knew about the drug ring. I didn't think anyone knew about the Valium, except for Bill, of course, but he's gone."

"But he could have told anyone, and we'd have no way of knowing," Castle mused.

Roy nodded, his eyebrows drawing downward again. "That's right." He grimaced, and then shrugged. "But you know what, it doesn't matter. Let them expose it all, tell the whole world what I've done. I don't care any more."

"Roy," Evelyn chastised, but he shrugged again, giving her an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry, baby, but it's true. I needed Kate to know this." His gaze slid back to Kate's face. "Kate... when you walked into my studio last year, I felt the hand of God. I knew he was giving me another chance."

Kate bit down on her lower lip, and Castle saw her chin trembling. He stepped closer to her, putting his hand on her back for support.

"I knew it was only a matter of time before I'd have to tell you this," Roy continued. "This letter was the last push, but I would have come to it soon enough anyway. You deserved to know." His face twisted with pain. "I just hope you'll be able to forgive me."

"I..." Kate swallowed with difficulty. "I need some time."

Disappointment flashed across Roy's face, but he controlled it quickly. "Of course," he murmured, turning away.

Castle made eye contact with Evelyn. "We'll be in touch," he said quietly. "And... don't worry about the letter. We'll figure it out."

Evelyn's forehead was creased with worry, but she nodded acceptance. "Thank you, Rick."

Castle took the teacup from Kate's hand and placed it back on the countertop. Then, putting his hand on her back again, he nudged her toward the door.

The town car driver whom Castle had asked to wait was half-heartedly playing a game on his phone when they emerged from the house. He started up the engine as they climbed in, and pulled away from the curb without having to be asked, heading toward the restaurant that Castle had directed him to earlier.

"Are you okay?" Castle asked, studying Kate's profile with concern. She didn't answer right away, staring out the window at the buildings and vehicles sliding by.

"If she was really determined to do it..." she murmured at last, almost to herself. "She would have found a way."

It took Castle a moment to parse out her meaning, but then he nodded thoughtfully. "If not from Roy, she would have gotten the Valium from somewhere else." He hesitated, still watching Kate's face, wondering if this meant that she was coming around to forgiving Roy. He knew it wasn't likely to be easy. Even after all this time, Kate still carried so much pain with her every day, about her mother's death. And now, to learn that her beloved mentor had been a part of it, even unknowingly... it would take time to get past that.

Kate turned toward him then, biting her lip anxiously. "What do you think?"

"About what?" he asked. He took a chance on reaching out to touch her, taking her hand. She didn't resist, allowed him to engulf her hand in both of his.

"Maybe..." Her voice was small, her eyes clouded with painful hope. "Maybe she really did want the Valium just to help her sleep. Maybe she wasn't even thinking about... about overdosing until that night."

"Mm. Maybe." Castle contemplated that. Was it better to imagine that Johanna had carefully planned her suicide, going to some lengths to obtain the pills in advance for that purpose, or that it had been a spur-of-the-moment decision on a particularly bad day?

They could never know for sure, so he supposed Kate could believe whichever version gave her more comfort.

"It's possible," he said noncommittally. Kate looked sharply at him, but then she sighed, her body slumping wearily back against the car's seat.

"Are you okay?" he asked again.

Kate leaned her head on his shoulder. Her hand came to life inside his, twisting to twine their fingers together and squeeze his hand.

"I will be," she said. "It's just... a shock, you know?"

"Yeah, of course." He squeezed her fingers in return.

"And then Roy getting the blackmail note?" Kate's half-closed eyes popped back open. "I didn't see that coming at all."

"Me either," Castle had to admit. "Roy getting the same note as Greg is huge."

"Huge," Kate repeated, agreeing. "It changes everything." She frowned. "Roy didn't mention the second letter, though."

"If it came over the weekend, while he was recovering, he might not have gotten it yet," Castle pointed out.

Kate nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, that's true." Her fingers twitched in his, and he released her hand, sliding his arm around her shoulders instead.

"Easy enough to find out if it's still sitting in his mailbox at the school," he said. "Why didn't you want to tell him about Greg?"

"I don't know..." Kate tilted her head aside so she could look up at his face. "It just didn't feel right. He was so... " She trailed off, her forehead creasing. "Maybe that was wrong. I just thought it would be too much extra stress for him."

"You're probably right," Castle said gently. He was relieved to hear Kate giving thought to Roy's feelings like this. It had to be a good sign that she was already starting to move past her anger. "Look, we can tell him about it later. Maybe after we get more of the details figured out."

"Yeah." Kate seemed about to say something else, but just then the car pulled up to the curb.

"Here you are," the driver announced.

"Thank you," Castle called, but then he turned to Kate again, giving her shoulder a squeeze. "Is this okay? I made a lunch reservation, but we don't have to, if you're too upset."

"No, I'm fine, really," she said. Her face was still pale, her eyes red, her voice subdued, but she gave him a nod and a small but genuine smile.

Castle slipped the driver a generous tip as they climbed out of the car, and within moments they were seated.

He had selected this restaurant for lunch because he thought it would be romantic in a low-key way - the food wasn't fancy, but the decor was tasteful, and the thick padding on the high-walled booths muffled the sounds coming in, giving a sense of privacy. Now, he was just glad for the quiet atmosphere, which he hoped would help Kate regain her equilibrium.

Kate scowled over the menu, finally deciding to just get a bowl of soup. Castle himself ordered a double cheeseburger with fries.

After the waiter had departed with their orders, Castle took Kate's hand again, wrapping his fingers around hers.

Kate leaned across the table toward him and said in a low voice, "Castle, what if other professors got the same letter too? We didn't even think to ask."

Castle brought his free hand up to smack himself in the forehead. "Crap, you're right. That seems so obvious now. Just like we didn't think to ask Martinez exactly when the drug ring happened. He gave the impression that it was fairly recent, but it wasn't."

"If he got the same letter, then he wasn't being completely forthcoming with us," Kate pointed out. "But maybe he assumed that we knew." She pursed her lips in thought. "This could also explain why Professor Ortega was so on edge."

"If we knew which professors got the letter, we could figure out what they have in common," Castle said.

"Yeah, but you can't just walk in there like 'got any unusual mail lately?'" Kate said, shooting him a warning look.

"I know, I know." He squeezed her fingers. "Even if I wanted to rush right over there and start asking around - which, okay, I totally do," he admitted, and was rewarded by a small smile. "But you're right. We can't go in there blind."

"We can't go in there at all, today," Kate said. "You've got more auditions and then the show to conduct tonight, and I have two tutoring sessions this afternoon."

"I could-"

"No," she interrupted. "Don't even say it, Castle." While he was pouting, she added, "Anyway, all of the professors are suspects at this point, so we have to tread carefully."

"That's true," he mused. "But they aren't the only ones. It could also be a student - maybe one who bought the cocaine through Forrester, got hooked, and then suffered withdrawals when Roy put an end to the whole thing."

"That doesn't explain Greg getting the blackmail letters too, though." Kate's hand slipped out of his as the waiter arrived with their food.

Castle grunted in frustration. It seemed like the more clues they uncovered, the further away they were from solving this thing.

They both fell silent then, Kate stirring her soup with the spoon and Castle focusing on applying ketchup to his burger.

"We should probably check back in with him," he said at last, after he had taken the first bite and savored it. Looking up, he saw that Kate wasn't listening; she was lost in thought again, her eyebrows drawn downward in sorrow. She must be thinking about her mother and Roy again.

Castle kept quiet, concentrating on his food and leaving Kate to her thoughts. She ate the soup slowly, as if on autopilot.

He was more than halfway through the burger, and Kate had finished her soup, when she finally snapped out of it, blinking fuzzily at him. "Oh. I zoned out," she said, blushing slightly. "I'm so sorry, babe."

"It's fine," he assured her. "You've got a lot on your mind."

"Yeah." Her hand snuck across the table and took one of his french fries. "I was just..." She stopped herself, shook her head. "We should call Greg."

Castle couldn't help the smile that came to his lips. Apparently, Kate had heard him even in the midst of her distraction. "Yeah," he said. "Maybe we could just ask him to come to the theater a little early before Storm, so we can talk things out."

"That would work." Kate stole another fry. "But... let's not tell him about... about Roy and the..."

"No," Castle agreed quickly. "We can fill him in without using names, or details. I think he'll feel better just for knowing that he isn't being singled out."

"Yeah." Kate frowned in thought. "The real question is what our blackmailer wants. I mean, money, obviously. The second letter made that pretty clear. But why? And why now?"

"Which takes us back to the question of what Greg and Roy have in common, and how it relates to the drug ring," Castle pointed out. "Maybe after the show tonight, we can break into the Juilliard building and look through the professors' papers, see if any of them have their own copies of the letter." He grinned at the look on Kate's face. "I'm kidding. Really."

"You better be kidding. You're not Derrick Storm."

"I know," he sighed regretfully. "Storm would have solved this by now."

"And probably slept with all of the female professors. Even Frau Georgi," Kate teased. She took yet another french fry from Castle's plate. He suppressed a smile and nudged the plate closer to her.

"Do you want to order something else?"

"What? No." Kate's cheeks flushed slightly. "It's okay." She pushed the plate back toward him.

"You need to eat." He pushed the plate toward her again. "It's fine. I'm still working on the cheeseburger."

Kate reached for the bottle of ketchup and squirted some more of it over the fries. "Speaking of cheeseburgers, Chloe and Zachary did a great job with the song."

"Yeah." Castle smiled. The audition where they had chosen the soloists for _Heat Wave_ felt like ages ago, though it had only been yesterday. "They're both perfect for the roles. It's going to be awesome."

"It really is," Kate murmured, and his spirits lifted at the sight of her smile.

* * *

Kate was still a little embarrassed about having let her mind wander while they were eating, but she knew that Castle didn't mind. After all, she told herself, he was usually the one to zone out, so turnabout was fair play.

She had been thinking about her mother, and Roy, of course; and then about her father. She was wondering whether to say anything to Jim about Roy's revelations.

The two men had never been particularly close even while Johanna was alive, and after her death they had lost contact until Kate began taking lessons with Roy. Their relationship now could best be described as cordial. So Kate didn't think there was any reason for Jim to know about what Roy had done all those years ago.

On the other hand, she wasn't sure whether she'd be comfortable keeping this a secret from her dad.

In any case, she decided to put that aside for the moment. There was plenty of time to think about Jim later. For now, she and Castle had a full agenda.

She had finished eating Castle's french fries, and after they paid the bill, they left the restaurant and walked to the nearest subway station, holding hands.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Castle asked yet again, looking at her with some concern. She managed a smile for him. It was sweet how worried he was about her reaction to Roy's news, but for right now, she just wanted to put all of that out of her mind and focus on work for a little while.

"I'm really fine, Rick," she murmured, slipping her arms around his waist as they waited for the subway. "Don't worry about me."

"Okay," he acquiesced, his own arms coming around her. His lips brushed her temple and she leaned into him, taking a slow deep breath, trying to release some of the tension from her shoulders.

They rode the subway together for a few stops, but Castle got off first, heading back to the theater for the last of the auditions. "I'll get in touch with Greg," he said as the train slid to a stop at the station, "and we can all meet up before the show."

"Okay. See you then," Kate murmured, and with another quick kiss, he departed.

Kate rode a few more stops and went back to her apartment to collect her violin. Then she got back on the subway to get to her tutoring gig.

She had back-to-back tutoring sessions this afternoon with a pair of siblings. The girl, who was older, sat in the family's lavish living room reading a book while her brother had his lesson in the sunroom; then they switched places.

Playing and teaching the violin might not be Kate's main focus any more, but it was still familiar and comfortable, and helped to relax her today. It was a relief to put everything else out of her mind - Roy, her mother, the long-ago drug ring at Juilliard, the mystery of the threatening letters, even her upcoming singing engagement - and to focus entirely on her students and their music for a couple of hours.

By the time the lessons were done, she found that she was feeling calmer. The music had worked its magic once again. It would still take time for her to completely come to terms with Roy's involvement in her mother's death, but she would get there.

She went back to her apartment again, to drop off her violin and eat a quick sandwich. Then it was time to get to the theater to meet up with Castle and Greg.

It was still a little while before call time for the show, so the backstage area wasn't too crowded yet. A few crew members were getting started on setup for the evening, and some of the performers had arrived early and were sitting around catching up. Their "weekend," which began after the Sunday matinee and included Monday and most of Tuesday, was the longest time they went without seeing each other.

No one seemed surprised by Kate's presence; she received a few friendly nods and smiles as she passed through on her way to the dressing room at the back.

The door was open, but the room was empty. Castle's tuxedo hung on its hook beside the mirror.

Kate was putting her purse on the table when Greg appeared in the doorway. "Oh, hi, Kate," he said. "How are you? Isn't Castle here?"

"No, he-" But just then the man in question came up behind Greg.

"I'm here," he said. "Hey, Greg. How was your day off?" Castle came across the room to greet Kate with a quick kiss, taking a moment to look at her face. She gave him a smile, trying to show that she was fine. He smiled back, looking relieved.

"Fine," Greg said, pushing the door shut behind him as he came into the room. "What's up? You've got new developments?"

"Yeah." Kate looked at Castle, who lifted his eyebrows, deferring to her. She turned back to Greg. "It turns out that you're not the only one who got those notes."

Greg huffed in surprise, his mouth falling open. "I... really? I mean, uh, wow. That changes things."

"It does," Castle agreed. "Listen, we haven't finished asking around yet, so we're not sure exactly how many people are involved in this. But we can say for sure that at least one other professor, who was there when you were, got the exact same threatening letter. The first one."

"What does this mean?" Greg asked, looking from Rick to Kate and back again. "I don't get it. Who was the other - Okay, never mind," he interrupted himself. "I understand you might have reasons for not telling me who else got the letter. But do you think it's related to Bill Forrester's drug ring? Was this other person involved in that?"

"Uh..." Castle glanced at Kate again, hesitating.

"It's... complicated," Kate told Greg. "The other person had, uh, some involvement. But I think we'll understand more if we can find out who else got the letters. It had to have been more than just the two of you."

Castle was nodding. "Yeah. But figuring that out is going to be tricky. We're still working on how to do it."

"Okay. I can see that," Greg said. He frowned, pacing back and forth in the small space, running a hand through his hair. "I guess it's good to know that I'm not the only one. It sort of takes some of the pressure off. You know?" He looked up at their faces for confirmation, and they both nodded agreement. "I mean, it's still so weird," he added. "To feel like I'm being threatened for something I never did. And over something that happened so long ago. I mean, like I said yesterday, I haven't even thought about that in years."

"It's a mystery, all right," Castle said. "But look, we're making progress, Greg. We're gonna figure this out."

Kate smiled slightly. Castle's optimism was endearing, even if she didn't entirely share it.

It had the right effect on Greg, though. His expression cleared, and he nodded, giving them book a grateful look.

"I know you are. Thanks, again, both of you."

"Do you-" Kate began, but a knock on the door interrupted them.

"Mr. Castle?"

Greg opened the door to find the stage manager standing there. She raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Oh, Mr. Garland. I was just looking for you. They're ready for you in makeup."

"Oh, shoot," Greg exclaimed, looking at his watch. "I need to get into costume. I'm so sorry."

"No problem." The stage manager glanced over at Castle. "Anything you need, Mr. Castle?"

"No," he said. "I'm all set, thanks."

"Okay."

She left, and Greg did too, after a final nod to Kate and Rick.

"Tutoring went okay?" Castle asked, when they were alone. Kate nodded, moving in closer, letting him take her hand again.

"Yeah. It helped to take my mind off of everything for a little while."

"Good." He tugged her even closer, slipping his arms around her, and lowered his head for a kiss. She tilted her face up in response, losing herself briefly in the soft touch of his mouth.

"Mm," she said at last, pulling back slightly. "You should probably get changed. It's almost showtime."

"Want to stay and watch?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows. Kate chuckled softly, but shook her head.

"Keep dreaming, babe." After one more lingering kiss, she left the dressing room and went to seek out the luxury box.

Kate sat there throughout the evening's performance of _Storm Surge_ , but she wasn't paying much attention. Her mind kept wandering back to the day's discoveries. There was still so much they hadn't figured out about the blackmail letters, and now she had Roy's involvement to consider as well. And behind all of that, at the back of her mind, she was still mulling over the conversations she'd had with her father and O'Leary about her relationship with Castle. It was a lot to think about.

After the show, she hung around outside the stage door, watching Castle and the lead performers greet their fans. Greg signed his share of autographs, but soon enough he extricated himself and came over to stand next to Kate, watching Castle continue to laugh and chat with the fans.

"I had another thought," Greg said quietly into Kate's ear. "It's probably nothing useful, but can we go somewhere and talk? Is he going to be much longer?"

"He shouldn't be," Kate said. The crowd of adoring fans was already thinning out. "I can pull him away."

"No, no. It's okay. Give him another minute."

Another minute was all it took before Castle finished signing his last autograph for the night, posed for one last selfie, and came over to them. "What's up?" he asked, looking curiously at Greg as he took Kate's hand.

"I was just thinking," Greg said. They all began to walk down the sidewalk, heading toward the dwindling line of taxis at the corner. "Do you think it might be a good idea for me to-"

Greg never got to finish the sentence. Just then a car came roaring around the corner, its tires squealing on the asphalt as it darted past the taxis and headed straight for them.

"Look out!" Kate yelled, grabbing Castle's arm. Panic gave her strength and she yanked as hard as she could on his arm, pulling him out of the car's path. Castle crashed into her and she fell heavily onto the sidewalk, with him landing on top of her. Pain exploded through her shoulder and head as they hit the ground. Dimly, she could hear shouting and the revving of the car's engine, but all the sounds faded away as she blacked out.

* * *

 _Thank you all for reading and reviewing! I hope you had a nice Halloween. I did post a Halloween fic called "The Favor" in case you'd like to go check it out._

 _As usual, I didn't do a good job of predicting how long this story would be. I originally said 15 chapters; I've just begun writing chapter 17 and my new estimate is 18 total, but, as usual, don't quote me on that. :)_


	14. Chapter 14

_You are my hiding place;_  
 _you will protect me from trouble_  
 _and surround me with songs of deliverance._  
-Psalm 32 (New International Version)

* * *

"Kate! Kate, are you okay? Talk to me!"

The panic in Castle's voice brought her back to reality. She blinked her eyes open to find him hovering over her, his whole face tight with alarm.

Adrenaline still surging through her system, she sat bolt upright, then groaned as the fast movement sent pain stabbing through her skull. Castle grabbed her upper arms, steadying her.

"Whoa. Easy there, sweetheart. Hold still."

"What the hell was that?" she mumbled, seeing relief flood across Castle's features at the sound of her voice.

Greg came rushing up behind Castle, flushed and disheveled. "They got away. Damn it! Is Kate okay?"

"Are _you_ okay?" Kate asked, looking up at Greg. A smear of blood was glistening on his forehead. "You're bleeding."

"Oh." Greg put his fingers to the spot, looked at the redness on his fingertips. "I must have touched it with this." He held up his other hand, the palm scraped and raw. "I fell on it. It's just a scratch. It's fine."

"Ma'am, are you all right?" asked a new voice. A uniformed police officer was approaching, and Kate became aware that a small crowd had gathered, pointing and murmuring.

"I'm okay," she said. Tilting her head up to look at the cop made her shoulder and head twinge with pain, and she grimaced. "I just need a minute."

"What happened here?" said a second voice. "Oh. Mr. Castle, isn't it? And Ms. Beckett." The voice sounded familiar, but Kate couldn't place it.

"Detective Gates," Castle said, sitting back on his heels and taking one hand from Kate's arm to shake the other woman's hand. "Long time no see."

"What's she doing here?" Kate wondered aloud. "This isn't a homicide."

"Attempted homicide," Greg said, scowling thunderously. "They drove straight at us."

"I was just consulting with Officer Tolliver on a case when the call came in," Gates explained. "Care to tell us what happened?"

"Castle, help me stand up," Kate requested. She felt self-conscious sitting on the sidewalk with everyone looking at her.

"Are you sure?" he asked anxiously. "You hit your head. You should sit still."

Kate mustered enough wits to give him her narrow-eyed glare, and he caved immediately, of course. "Okay, okay." He got to his feet, and then reached down to help her up. Kate swayed briefly once she was upright, but she clung to Castle's solid arm around her and steadied herself.

Greg was talking to Detective Gates, agitated, gesturing with his uninjured hand. Gates simply listened and nodded.

"Came out of nowhere," Kate heard Greg say. "It was driving straight at us, I'm telling you."

"Did you get a look at the driver?" Gates asked. Greg frowned and shook his head.

"It happened so fast. I think he had his head covered."

"You're sure it was a man?"

"Um..." Greg paused, looking surprised. "I don't know. Castle?"

"I didn't see. Sorry," Castle said. "Like he said, it all happened so fast."

The loud bloop of a siren filled the air as an ambulance pulled up next to them. Kate winced as its lights flashed across her vision. The fuzziness had faded and she felt clear-headed, but the pain lingered. She put up a hand to the back of her head, and flinched again when her fingers found a tender spot.

"Did you see anything, Ms. Beckett?" Gates asked. "The driver?"

"No." Kate frowned, trying to remember. "I think they had their head covered, like Greg said."

"I remember part of the license plate, though," Castle put in. "I think the last two digits were 47."

"Hmm." Gates made a note in her little notebook. "Not much to go on."

Officer Tolliver came back to them, holding his own notebook. "Detective, those cabbies say the car took the corner too fast and seemed to lose control. They don't think it was deliberate."

"What?" Greg demanded. "Of course it was deliberate. It came right at us."

"Stay calm, please, sir," Gates told him firmly. "We're just trying to get all of the facts."

Kate gripped Castle's arm tightly, her pulse racing. Was Greg right? Had someone just tried to kill them?

* * *

Castle insisted that the paramedics check Beckett out, although she swore that she was fine. While one paramedic was cleaning and bandaging Greg's scraped hand, the other one examined Kate's shoulder and head, looked into her eyes, and asked her a series of questions.

"The shoulder's just bruised, and no concussion," he said at last. "Here." He took out an ice pack and pressed it to the back of Kate's head, guiding her hand up so that she could hold it in place herself.

"Thanks," she said.

"Are you sure we shouldn't go to the hospital?" Castle fretted. The paramedic turned to him, shaking his head.

"I don't think it's necessary, sir. The ice and some Tylenol or Advil should take care of it. But keep your eye on her for the next day or two. Any signs of confusion, slurred speech, loss of coordination, anything like that, take her to the ER."

"Okay." He looked at Kate with concern, but she didn't seem confused, and her speech had been normal since she came to. "Okay."

Detective Gates came over to them as they exited the ambulance. "Everything all right over here?"

"I'm fine," Kate said firmly. "I just want to go home." She had swallowed the painkillers that the paramedic gave her, and was still holding the ice pack to her head.

"Of course," Gates nodded. "Well, we can check surveillance cameras in the area." She gestured around them; the crowd of onlookers had dispersed, but the theater district was still well-populated on a Tuesday night. "All these witnesses and it seems like no one saw anything useful, except that it was a silver sedan, probably a Toyota. One of the cab drivers did confirm that the person in the car had a hoodie covering their head, and dark sunglasses."

"But the cabbies think it was an accident?" Castle asked.

Gates shrugged. "That's what they seemed to say, but who knows? Your friend Mr. Garland is very much convinced that it was a deliberate attack." She fixed them both with her steely glare. "Now, why would someone want to harm you two?"

Castle wondered whether that was sarcasm. It was hard to tell with the acerbic cop. He knew that Gates hadn't been too thrilled with them investigating the murder case that she was assigned to last year - and not just investigating, but solving it before she did - but she had been professional about it, of course.

"What did Greg say?" Kate asked, evading the question.

"Just that the two of you had been looking into a personal matter for him," Gates replied, with a twist of her lips that showed she knew there was more to it than that. "But he insisted that it wasn't anything I should concern myself with."

"Well, he's right about that," Castle put in quickly. It might be skirting the edges of the truth, but it _was_ true. Gates was a homicide detective, and this wasn't a homicide case. "Listen, Detective, the details are kind of private, but it's possible that we made someone angry."

"But angry enough to try to kill us?" Kate asked in a quiet voice. She shifted on her feet, adjusting the ice pack that she was still holding against the back of her head. "I don't know, Castle. Maybe the cabbies are right, and it was just a random accident."

Gates looked speculatively between them, and then shrugged. "Well, in any case, it's not my jurisdiction. Tolliver will bring his captain up to speed, and they'll decide how to proceed. They'll get in touch with you tomorrow."

"Thank you, Detective," Kate said.

"Yes, thanks."

Castle put his arm around Kate as Gates walked off. Greg approached them, his hand bandaged, his expression still dark and gloomy.

"I'm so sorry, guys," he began, but Kate waved him off.

"Greg, it's not your fault," she said. "Listen, let's all just get some rest, okay? We'll talk in the morning."

"Yeah. Of course," Greg agreed. "Good night, then."

"Good night."

"Night, Greg," Castle echoed. He had already called for a town car, and it was waiting for them at the curb. Kate allowed him to help her into the car, and as they pulled into traffic, Castle leaned back against the seat, his eyes glued to Kate's face.

"What?" she asked, tilting her head at him curiously.

"You pulled me out of the way of the car," he breathed, his chest filling with awe as he spoke the words. "You saved my life, Beckett."

"Don't be so dramatic," she huffed, though a tint of pink was coloring her cheeks. "It probably wouldn't have killed you."

"Okay, you saved me from possible dismemberment and disfigurement, then." He slid closer to her, taking her hand again. "Kate."

"What would I tell Martha and Alexis if I let anything happen to you?" she said, trying for levity, but he heard how her voice trembled.

"I'm fine," he said. "You're the one who got hurt trying to protect me." His heart skipped a beat at the memory of falling, unable to stop himself from landing on top of Kate.

He pushed the mental image aside and bent down to kiss Kate, sealing his mouth over hers with a sudden urgency. She let out a soft whimper and pressed into him, returning the kiss with equal fervor.

But when Kate tried to lift her hand to his neck, she flinched, her lips parting from his as she couldn't hold back a short gasp of pain. The movement must have jarred her injured shoulder.

"Oh god, I'm sorry," he said quickly. But she shook her head, her eyes fierce on his.

"Don't be," she said firmly. She picked up the ice pack, which had fallen into her lap, and moved it onto her shoulder. Castle lifted his own hand and held the ice pack in place. With his other hand he brushed a stray piece of hair back from Kate's forehead.

"I love you," he whispered.

Kate's other hand came up, gripping the back of his neck. She pulled his head down demandingly.

"I love you too," she husked, just before she claimed his mouth again.

It was hard not to give in to temptation and pour all of the passion of the moment into his kiss, but he wouldn't risk hurting Kate further. So he tried to keep it restrained, despite what Kate clearly wanted; he was grateful that they arrived at his loft quickly.

Inside, the loft was dark and quiet. Martha and Alexis must have already gone to bed. Kate went to the kitchen and put the ice pack in the freezer, then followed Castle to his bedroom.

She was unbuttoning her shirt as they went, and once they were in the bedroom, he turned to her. "Are you-"

"Castle," she interrupted, shooting him a glare. "If you ask me if I'm okay one more time, I swear."

"Okay, okay," he said, putting up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "I won't." But he did step closer and help her ease the shirt down her arms. The bruise on her shoulder was large, but it didn't look too bad. Castle lowered his head to brush his lips over it, and felt Kate shiver against him.

"Come here," she rasped, her fingers curling around his ear and bringing his mouth to hers again. She tugged him toward the bed as they kissed.

"You know," he panted, gripping her hips with both hands, "I've always wondered whether life-affirming, we-almost-died sex is really as good as they make it look in the movies."

"Let's find out," Kate answered breathlessly, and she pulled him down onto the bed.

* * *

Kate woke with a strangled shout in the middle of the night, her heart pounding. The sheets were tangled around her body, damp with sweat, and she was alone in the bed.

"Kate?"

Castle appeared in the doorway, rumpled and blinking. Behind him, in his study, she could see the soft glow of his computer and the various lights on his electronic keyboard. He must have been composing again.

"I'm..." Her voice was hoarse, her breath coming fast, scraping down the length of her dry throat. "I'm okay. It was just a dream."

"Here." He padded across the bedroom to the nightstand on her side of the bed. A glass of water sat there, alongside two Tylenol capsules. Castle picked up the glass and handed it to her.

"Thanks." She sipped, feeling the cool water soothe her throat. Castle gave her the pills and she swallowed them too, washing them down with more water.

"Bad dream?" he murmured, his fingertips lightly caressing her sweaty forehead. She sighed and nodded.

"I guess so. I don't really remember." It was mostly true. She had only vague images of the car barreling down on them, Castle falling and being crushed under its wheels while she strained and struggled to reach him.

He took the empty glass from her and went into the bathroom, returning in a moment with the glass refilled. He put it back on the nightstand and sat down on the bed beside her. "Go back to sleep, sweetheart. Everything's okay."

Her eyelids felt heavy, the pillow calling out to her. But she wrapped her fingers around his forearm. "Lie with me?" she mumbled sleepily. "Or do you need to write some more?"

"It can wait," he answered, and he slid under the covers with her, letting her settle herself against him, secure in the warm curve of his arms.

* * *

Castle was up early the next morning, leaving Kate sleeping while he quickly showered and pulled on shorts and a t-shirt. It was unusual for him to be awake before her, but he figured she needed the extra rest after her injuries and the emotional shocks of yesterday.

He bustled out to the kitchen, started the coffee brewing, and set about mixing pancake batter. Moments later, Alexis came down the stairs, fresh-faced and smartly dressed, with her new backpack over one shoulder.

"Morning, Dad!"

"Good morning, pumpkin. Happy first day of school."

"Thanks." She perched on a stool in front of the kitchen island. "Can I have chocolate chips in my pancakes?"

"Of course."

Alexis was just finishing her pancakes, and Castle his second cup of coffee, when Kate emerged from the bedroom. Her hair was damp from showering and she was fully dressed. "First-day-of-school pancakes?"

"Yep," he agreed. "Want some?"

"Sure."

He studied Kate surreptitiously as she came over to pour herself a cup of coffee. Her eyes looked clear, her expression calm. The pinched look of pain and anxiety that she'd worn when her dream woke her up was gone.

"How's your head and shoulder?" he asked quietly as he bent to kiss her cheek.

"Much better," she answered calmly. "I took some more Advil just in case, but it hardly hurts at all."

"Good."

He cooked up another batch of pancakes for Kate and himself, and just as he was flipping them onto the plate, Alexis put down her glass of orange juice and stood up.

"Well, time for me to get going," she announced, retrieving her backpack from the floor.

"Have a great day," Castle said. He turned off the burner and came around the island to give his daughter a hug. "I want to hear all about it later."

"Oh, you will," Alexis replied with a grin. She hugged him back, and then turned to give Kate a quick hug as well. "Bye!"

After Alexis had left, Castle and Beckett settled in with their breakfasts.

"We've got to crack this case," Kate said after a few bites. Her forehead was creased with worry. "It's getting too messy. We need to wrap it up and put it behind us."

"Mm," he hummed in agreement. "I don't have much time today. There's a matinee and an evening show."

"I know, but we at least have the morning. We need to go back to Juilliard and talk to the professors again." Kate looked at him with determination shining in her eyes. "I know I said we shouldn't just walk in there and ask them if they've gotten blackmail letters, but maybe the direct approach is the way to go. It would get results."

Castle nodded slowly. "Do you really think the car yesterday was just a random accident?" he asked with a bit of hesitation. "It seems like a hell of a coincidence."

Kate chewed her food for a few moments, thinking it over. "I don't know," she admitted at last. "But if it was a deliberate attack, that just makes it all the more important to solve this quickly. If the blackmailer is turning to violence, that means we must be on to something."

"It would have to mean that they know we've been asking around," Castle agreed.

The chirping of his phone's ringtone cut off whatever else he might have said. Pulling it from his pocket, he saw Greg's name on the screen and quickly swiped to answer the call.

"Hi, Greg."

"Rick, good morning. How are you two? Is Kate's head okay?"

"She's fine. I'm putting you on speaker." He pressed the button and put the phone on the countertop between them.

"Hi, Greg," Kate said, sipping her coffee. "What's up?"

"Oh, hi, Kate. Listen, I just wanted to make sure you were both okay after, uh, you know, last night."

"We're fine," Kate said firmly. "Greg, you were about to say something right before the car came at us."

"Right! Yes. Uh, nothing major really. I was just going to say that I might know of a few students, I mean singers who were students at the time that the drug selling was going on. I could call them, find out what they know."

Kate pursed her lips skeptically. "Well, it couldn't hurt, but actually I think we should focus on the professors - the ones on your list." She took the list out of her pocket, the piece of paper now rumpled and smudged from all of its travels, but still legible. "Martinez, Georgi, Templeton, and Ortega."

"And Montgomery," Greg added, "but I guess we can cross him off, since you know him so well, of course, Kate."

Castle lifted his eyebrows. Of course, Greg didn't know that Roy Montgomery had received the same blackmail letters that he had. He looked at Kate, who shook her head at him, cautioning. He wasn't sure why she still didn't want Greg to know, but he shrugged and let her take the lead.

"Roy isn't the one sending the letters," she said in a tone that brooked no argument. "I really think it's one of those four, Greg. Let's take them one by one."

"Martinez," Castle said, "he was the one who told us about the drugs. He said that he participated but only for a short time."

"If he told you about it, doesn't that mean he isn't the blackmailer?" Greg asked.

"Maybe," Kate temporized. "But he could have been trying to throw us off."

"Georgi," Castle continued. "She was abrupt with Kate, maybe out of fear, or guilt. Templeton was friendly but had nothing useful to say. Ortega seemed very nervous, didn't want to talk to us."

"Lied to us," Kate corrected. "She said she didn't know anything about illegal activities at the school, but if Forrester really asked everyone, then she must have known. Though it's possible that she didn't mention it because it was so long ago and she thought we were talking about something more recent."

"So, inconclusive," Castle said. "We don't have anything to rule anyone out."

"I... I really don't know what to tell you guys," Greg said. "Knowing them all, it's just hard for me to imagine that this is any of them."

"Well," said Kate, "I think we have to assume that each of them got the letters, except for the one who sent them. So we'll start there."

"Please be careful," Greg urged, his voice low. "I can't - I mean, if you two get hurt again, it's all on me. That's not what I was asking you to sign up for when I brought this to you."

"Don't worry about us," Kate said. "Whatever we decide to do, we accept the risks. Why don't you call those other students you thought of, and we'll check in again later."

"Okay. Thank you," Greg said, and they ended the call.

"You don't really think he'll get anything useful from those former students," Castle said as they began clearing away the breakfast dishes. "You were just giving him busy-work to keep him away from the case."

"Yes," Kate said unrepentantly. "He's too volatile. I don't want him blundering around with the other professors, making a mess of things."

"Plus, we can't have him solving this thing before we do," Castle grinned. Kate rolled her eyes, but she didn't deny it.

"Let's get going," was all she said.

* * *

Castle's cell phone rang as they were walking from the subway station to the Juilliard building. "Castle," he said into it. "Oh, good morning, Officer Tolliver."

Kate listened to him mm-hmming and okaying for a couple of minutes as they ambled along the sidewalk. "No, that's fine. Thank you for letting me know," he said at last, and ended the call.

"They're not going to investigate it, are they?" Kate said. Castle grimaced and shook his head.

"He said they looked at some surveillance footage and it's impossible to tell whether the car came at us on purpose or just lost control briefly. The camera was at the wrong angle to see the license plate or the driver, and there must be thousands of silver Toyota sedans in the city, so there isn't much to go on."

"So, we're on our own," Kate concluded. That didn't bother her. She still wasn't convinced that the car incident had been a deliberate attack, but even if it was, bringing the police in would only complicate things. And she was convinced that they were going to break the case open by talking to the four professors again.

They entered the building and followed the same path they had walked on Monday. The atmosphere in the hallways was less frantic than it had been; everyone was beginning to settle down into the rhythm of the semester. There were only a handful of students at the administration desk waiting to have their questions dealt with.

As Kate and Rick passed by the administration area, he paused, touching her arm to stop her. "Hang on," he said. "Aren't those the mailboxes?"

"Castle!" she exclaimed as he skirted around the admin desk and into the tiny supply room behind it. "What are you doing?"

"I'm just - Ah!" he exclaimed. He had found the cubbyholes that served as mailboxes for the faculty, and the one labeled _MONTGOMERY_ contained a small pile of envelopes and magazines. Castle pulled the entire stack of mail out of the compartment and began to look through it.

"Castle, you can't do that," Kate hissed. He looked up at her in surprise.

"Oh. You're right." He thrust the pile of mail into her arms. "Here. You do it."

"What?"

"You're Roy's star pupil," Castle explained. "It would be perfectly reasonable for you to come and get his mail while he's on medical leave."

"Oh." Kate blinked. That actually did make sense. She felt uncomfortable going through someone else's mail, but Castle was right; no one would question it.

She sorted quickly through the stack, pushing the magazines back into the cubby. Near the bottom of the pile she found what they were looking for: a plain white envelope, almost identical to the two that Greg had received, except that this had Roy's name written on it.

"Ha! I win," Castle exclaimed triumphantly, snatching the envelope from her. Before Kate could muster a protest, he had opened it and taken out the letter.

 ** _I HOPE YOU CAN AFFORD WHAT IT'S GOING TO COST.  
_ _DON'T GO TO THE POLICE. YOU WILL REGRET IT._**

"It's the same as Greg's second letter," Kate murmured, staring at the stark black words.

"Yeah."

Kate knew that this didn't tell them anything new; they could have assumed that Roy had gotten the second letter as well as the first. But it was one thing to know that, and another thing to see the harsh words in black and white.

Castle was hunting quickly through the other mail compartments, rifling through their contents one by one, but in another moment he stepped back with a disappointed sigh. "Nothing. The rest of them must have picked up their mail already."

"Let's go see who's here to talk to us," Kate said. She put Roy's pile of mail back into his cubby, except for the blackmail letter. She stuffed that back into its envelope and put it in her purse.

The hallway that contained the faculty offices was quiet; some of the doors were open, some closed. They bypassed Professor Li, who hadn't been on staff at the time of the drug ring. Professors Templeton and Georgi were not in their offices. But Professor Ortega was in hers, and she looked up at them with a grim expression when they knocked.

"You can come in," she said in a tone of resignation. "I'm ready to confess."


	15. Chapter 15

_...why do so many of us try to explain the beauty of music, thus depriving it of its mystery?_ **  
**-Leonard Bernstein

* * *

Kate could feel Castle nearly vibrating with excitement as they moved into Professor Ortega's office, pulling the door closed behind them. They took the two guest chairs in front of her desk, Kate sitting straight-backed and keeping a neutral expression, Castle crossing his legs casually and offering the professor his friendly smile.

"Do tell," he said. "Confess to what?"

"Well, to buying the drugs all those years ago. That's what you've been asking around about, isn't it?" Ortega said.

Castle let out a tiny sigh, and although Kate wasn't looking at him, she could sense his disappointment that Ortega wasn't confessing to having sent the threatening letters.

"We have been looking into that, yes," Kate said, keeping her gaze steady on the professor. "Are you saying that you participated in it?"

"Wait - you said buying, not selling?" Castle interjected.

Ortega nodded hesitantly. "Yes, well, uh..."

"Just start at the beginning," Kate encouraged. The professor nodded again and looked down at her hands, twisted into an anxious knot on the top of her desk.

"Professor Forrester came to me, like he did with everyone," she explained. "I was resistant. I couldn't see how this would possibly be a good idea. But he could be very persistent," she sighed. "I was inexperienced, and too nervous to say no to him."

"So you agreed to sell the drugs?" Castle asked. Kate had to admire the way he kept his tone of voice cool and nonthreatening.

"I... yes, I agreed," Ortega said. "But I think he could tell that I was uncertain about it. He said he would start me off small, with just one bag."

"He gave you a bag of cocaine," Kate said flatly. It was a struggle to keep her tone even. Hearing everyone talk about it was one thing, but this was definitive confirmation that drugs had been sold at the school. She felt slightly ill with a mixture of anger and disappointment.

"Yes," Ortega said again. "I paid him half of what it was worth, and he said I could sell it and keep the profit."

"Okay," Castle said. "So you sold it, and then what?"

"No, no. I didn't," the professor denied. "I couldn't!" She looked beseechingly at Kate. "I know how it looks, but it's the truth. Once I had that bag in my hand, I just couldn't do it. I couldn't imagine myself asking any of my students if they wanted to buy it. How do you even do that? How do you know who to ask? What do you say? What if I misjudged and the student decided to turn me in?" She shook her head, meeting Kate's gaze head-on. "So I flushed it down the toilet."

"Oh," Kate said, surprised. "Really?"

"Yes." Ortega's voice was firmer now. "I didn't want anything to do with it. I felt... dirty, just from having allowed Forrester to talk me into taking that one bag. I flushed it, and when he came back to ask if I wanted more, I said no. I lied to him, said that the student who bought it didn't like it and didn't want any more."

"And he believed you?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "Maybe he could see that I wasn't comfortable with it. Does it matter? He left me alone after that."

Kate frowned, studying the professor's face. Her story rang true, but it was missing something, and Kate couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Castle, however, had spotted the hole and came to the rescue. "Professor, there's one thing I don't understand," he said. "Why did you tell us that you wanted to confess, if you never actually sold the drugs?"

"Oh." Ortega looked surprised. "Well, I never sold them, but I bought that first bag from him. That's illegal, isn't it?"

* * *

Castle was shaking his head as he and Kate emerged from Professor Ortega's office. "I think I see why Forrester didn't have any luck getting a major drug ring going here," he commented, amused. "If all of the voice faculty are so..." He paused, hunting for the right tactful word.

"Naïve?" Kate suggested. He grinned and nodded.

"Exactly."

Professor Ortega had been incredibly relieved when they told her that, regardless of the details, the statute of limitations on her single drug-buying experience was long since expired. They had promised to do their best to keep her involvement secret, if at all possible. By the time they stood up to leave, she had seemed much happier, as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

"I mean, she was basically coerced into it," Castle said as he followed Kate back along the hallway. "And it was ten or more years ago, one little bag of cocaine. Did she honestly think she was going to get in that much trouble over it?"

"Well, the blackmail notes obviously got her pretty rattled," Kate murmured, pausing to glance into Professor Martinez's office.

Ortega had been more than happy to show them the letters she had received. The two envelopes and sheets of paper were identical to the ones that Greg and Roy had gotten. Castle couldn't help thinking that this was conclusive.

"That's three professors now who got the letters," he said to Beckett's back. "You know the saying - once is an accident, twice is coincidence, three times is enemy action."

"It's safe to say once is enemy action when it comes to blackmail," she replied drily. Before he could respond, she was knocking on another door. "Frau Georgi?"

"Ms. Beckett," said a gruff voice from inside. Castle moved into the doorway to get a look at the stern German professor who had so flustered Kate the other day. "Ah. This must be Maestro Castle," Georgi said.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," he said cheerfully, stepping forward to hold out his hand. The professor's expression was dour, but she consented to shake his hand briefly.

"What do you want? I am quite busy."

"I can see that, Professor," Castle agreed, keeping his friendly smile in place. "We won't take too much of your time. We just wanted to ask you about the drugs."

He heard Kate give a soft huff of surprise next to him, which only made his grin wider. Wasn't this what she had meant when she suggested they try the direct approach?

Professor Georgi seemed unperturbed. "Yes," she said. "What about them?"

"Uh," Castle paused, thrown off for a moment by the professor's equanimity, but he forged ahead. "Were you involved in William Forrester's drug ring?"

"Of course," Georgi replied. "It was very lucrative."

Castle blinked and turned to Kate, seeing the same amazement on her face that he was feeling. The blunt admission was not at all what they had expected.

"So... let me get this straight," Kate said, recovering her wits. "You took cocaine from Professor Forrester and sold it to your students?"

"This is correct, yes."

"And, uh," Castle stammered, still trying to get his brain back on track, "and then, uh, he put a stop to it."

"Yes. He said that his source had been sent to jail, and he could not get the merchandise any more." The professor shrugged expressively. "These things happen. My students were disappointed, but such is life."

"I suppose so," Castle said, raising his eyebrows. "So, did you get some threatening letters recently?"

"Ah. That." Georgi rolled her eyes and scoffed. "I put them in the shredder. I have no time for such nonsense." She directed her stern glare at both of them. "There is no proof, so it means nothing."

"Right," Kate said thoughtfully. "Of course." Castle was surprised to see the ghost of a smile cross her face. "Thank you, Professor."

* * *

"What's so funny?" Castle asked, as they left Frau Georgi's office and stepped back out into the hallway. Kate turned to him, biting her lip, unable to hold back her amusement.

"I just started thinking about what you said before," she answered, "about how hard it must have been for Forrester to get his scheme going with this group. I was imagining him going from Ortega, who was completely cowed, and then trying the same tactics on Frau Georgi."

"That is funny," Castle agreed, a grin beginning to bloom on his face as he thought about it. "If he tried to intimidate Georgi, he must have been in for a shock."

"Yeah." But Kate's smile faded as she looked down the hallway. "Anyway, we're down to just two. But Martinez and Templeton aren't in their offices."

"It's got to be one of them," Castle declared. "We just need to figure out which one."

"I really hope so," Kate sighed. "Because otherwise we're completely stuck. We have no other ideas." She reached up to adjust the strap of her purse, and winced slightly as the movement tugged at her bruised shoulder. She had iced it again this morning, and it felt much better, but was still a little sore.

"Do you need another Tylenol?" Castle asked sympathetically, but she shook her head.

"No, I'm fine. Let's just-" She broke off as a strange expression spread across her boyfriend's face. "What is it?"

"That's it!" he exclaimed in triumph. He looked down the corridor, searching for something. "Isn't there an underground parking garage for the faculty?"

"Yeah," Kate confirmed, frowning in confusion. "The stairs are right over there. Why?"

"Come on!" And he was off, pushing through the door she had indicated and thundering down the stairs. Kate hurried after him, thoroughly baffled.

Castle burst through the heavy metal door at the bottom of the stairs, emerging into the dim, low-ceilinged parking garage. It was a fairly small space, with cars parked closely together, each parking space labeled FACULTY ONLY.

"This is it," Castle muttered to himself, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "We've got this."

"Castle, what are we doing?"

"Aha!" he shouted. "Look, Beckett, over here." He jogged across the concrete toward a car parked midway down the row.

"Ohh," she said, getting it at last. "That's the car!"

"Silver Toyota sedan," Castle said proudly. "And look, the last two digits on the plate are 47, just like I said."

Kate moved closer to peer in the windows of the car. The interior didn't have much to offer: a box of tissues and a few half-empty water bottles in the front passenger seat, an umbrella on the floor in the rear, and that was all. There was nothing to give any indication of the owner's identity. It was strange to think that this unassuming vehicle was the same beast that had almost mowed them down last night.

"Well, this is some good detective work, Castle, but it doesn't help us if we don't know whose car it is," she commented.

Castle's face lit up briefly at the compliment, but then fell again as she finished the sentence. "You're right," he sighed. "And I doubt we could convince Detective Gates or Officer Tolliver to run a license-plate check for us. But this is the car, Beckett! There must be a way to figure out who owns it."

"Well, maybe-" Kate stopped short as an idea hit her. She almost couldn't believe it seemed that obvious. "Wait a minute, Castle. I have an idea."

"What is it?" he asked eagerly.

Kate thought about it for a moment. Yes, it would work. But first - "Before we do anything else," she said firmly, "we're going to do what every amateur sleuth in every mystery novel should do but doesn't."

"Have sex with the ruggedly handsome yet mysterious stranger?" Castle suggested.

She snorted. "No, babe. We're going to call the police _before_ going into a confrontation with the suspect."

"That's not nearly as much fun," he pouted, as Kate reached into his pocket and took out his phone.

"Sorry," she said briskly. "Now, where's Officer Tolliver's number?"

* * *

Castle honestly thought that he might die from impatience during the time it took for the cop to make his way to Juilliard and meet them. Kate had told him her idea, and it was so elegantly simple he was a little disappointed that he hadn't thought of it himself.

While they waited, they went back up to the office area, in case either of their two suspects might have returned, but no such luck. Castle was itching to go into Martinez's and Templeton's offices and search for clues, but Kate shut him down.

"No way. Not in broad daylight," she said. "Besides, think how it would look if the cops get here and find you committing burglary."

"I don't think it counts as burglary if the doors are unlocked and open," he said, but just then Officer Tolliver appeared, cutting the argument off.

"Thank you so much for coming, Officer," Kate said as they led him to the parking garage to show him the car.

"No problem," he replied laconically. "And please, call me LT."

They had debated how much to tell the cop about the drug ring, but in the end, they decided that he needed to know the whole story. As Professor Georgi had said, there was no way to prove that the drug ring had ever happened, let alone prove who had been involved in it, so they weren't likely to get anyone into trouble for it.

LT seemed skeptical, but after listening to their explanation, he agreed to go along with the plan that they had come up with. So, moments later, he and Castle were standing in the office corridor again, next to the door that led to the stairs down to the parking garage.

Kate strode off down the hall toward the front lobby. After just a few moments she reappeared, and as she was walking toward them, they heard the building's PA system spring to life.

"Your attention please," said the voice of the administrative assistant at the front desk. "Will the owner of a silver Toyota Camry, license plate 381847, please come to the parking garage. There has been an accident involving your car."

"Perfect," Castle exclaimed, and they all hurried down the stairs.

He thought he might die of impatience all over again while they waited next to the car in the dimness of the garage, all three of them alternately fidgeting and pacing, saying nothing.

But at last, after an eternity - which, he was aware, had probably only been a few minutes in reality - they heard feet clattering on the stairs. Officer Tolliver straightened up, his hand going instinctively to the gun on his belt.

The door creaked open, and a figure stepped through.

Castle felt his eyebrows rise. The moment was a bit anticlimactic for him, because he didn't recognize the woman who was striding quickly toward them; but he had to assume that she was Professor Diana Templeton, the only one on Greg's list whom Castle had not yet met.

The woman got close enough to see the three of them standing there beside her car, and she stopped short, one hand flying to her mouth. Her eyes were wide, tracking Officer Tolliver as he stepped forward, his hand still resting on his gun.

Kate was the first to speak, breaking the tense standoff that had begun to develop. "Professor Templeton?" she said, moving forward as well, frowning. "It was you at the theater last night?"

"I- I don't-" The woman looked as if she was ready to bolt, but the cop's gun drew her gaze, and she stood still, wide-eyed like a deer in the headlights.

"It was you who sent those notes to the other professors?" Castle added. That got Templeton's attention. Her features hardened, apprehension giving way to anger.

"I had to get what I deserve," she spat. "They need to pay for what they did to me."

"They who?" Beckett asked. "William Forrester?"

"Of course, Forrester," Templeton said. Her eyebrows drew down into a fierce scowl. "I only regret that he died before I could get restitution from him. But the others were complicit too."

"Tell us what they did to you," Castle said softly, keeping his voice calm. Templeton was clearly unstable, and he wanted to hear the whole story before she completely lost her cool. "Did you buy drugs from Forrester?"

The professor's eyes darted to the cop again, and she paused, but then tossed her head defiantly and answered, "Yes. I did. That bastard wouldn't take no for an answer."

"So you got the drugs from him and re-sold them to your students," Beckett prompted.

But Templeton's eyes flashed with anger again and she shook her head. "No. No, that's not it. You don't get it!"

"Stay calm, ma'am," LT said in a steady voice. He moved his hands slightly away from his sides, showing that he wasn't a threat. "Just tell us what happened."

"He got me hooked," she burst out, her voice tight with hatred. "That son of a bitch gave me the drugs at half price, and I was just going to try it once - just out of curiosity - but before I knew it, I was addicted. I had to keep going back for more, and every damn time, he gave me that smug smirk of his. The bastard knew he had me on his hook."

Castle's eyebrow rose, and he glanced over at Beckett, who looked back at him with pursed lips.

But then he turned back to Templeton, addressing her again in his best soothing tone. "That must have been very hard for you, when his source dried up," he said. "I know it isn't easy to kick an addiction like that." Castle himself had seen far too many fantastic talents get destroyed by cocaine and other drugs. Anyone who had been in showbiz for any length of time had seen it.

"It was the worst thing that ever happened to me," Templeton said harshly. "I had to find another source, and I was clueless. I had no idea how to do it. Wandering around the bad parts of town, looking for a fix. I was desperate. I wiped out half of my life savings buying coke."

Castle heard Kate suck in a shocked breath at that, but she bit her lip and kept quiet.

"I finally hit rock bottom," Templeton continued. "I realized I needed help, so I told everyone I was taking a sabbatical to travel Europe and study ancient folk music, but instead I checked in to rehab. And that took the rest of my savings."

"Oh, no." Castle winced. "Rehab can be really expensive. But it was worth it, to get you clean, wasn't it?"

"What was the point?" she yelled, her voice rising to a shriek, making all three of them flinch. The sound bounced off the concrete walls of the parking garage and back into their ears, magnified. "I got clean, sure, but now I'm ready to retire, and I have nothing! Nothing! All because of those smug bastards upstairs!"

"Ah," Beckett said, giving a sharp nod. "I see. So, as you were preparing to retire, you decided to have your final revenge by extorting money out of your colleagues. Two birds, one stone."

"Exactly," the professor snapped. "It's the least they could do. They all owe me, all of them. Every one of them who helped him get away with it. They all ruined me."

"Well, if part of your goal was to scare them, the threatening notes were a good start," Kate commented coolly. "You certainly put some of the other professors on edge with that. Especially the ones who didn't participate in the drug ring, so they didn't even know why they were being threatened."

At that, Templeton faltered for the first time since she began her story. Her face looked sickly yellow in the weak lighting of the parking garage. "What?" she asked, shifting nervously on her feet.

"Like Greg Garland," Castle put in. "He was never a part of Forrester's scheme, so he was totally confused by your letters." He saw Templeton blink in surprise, her mouth falling open slightly. "That's why he asked us to investigate," he added, "to try to figure out who was blackmailing him and why."

"And when we started asking around too much, you drove your car at us," Kate added, her jaw set, her eyes steely. "You tried to kill us."

"No," Templeton protested, a quaver in her voice. "I wasn't trying to - No, I - I just wanted to scare you a little. To throw you off, make you leave it alone."

"That's disappointing, actually," Castle said, shaking his head sadly, watching the professor's face go slack with surprise. "From your threatening notes, I thought it seemed like you were as big a fan of mystery novel tropes as I am. But if that were true, you should have known that an attack by the villain never actually scares the hero off the case. If anything, it only makes the hero even more determined to solve the mystery and catch the culprit."

Kate spoke up again, and her voice was low and dripping with poison. "If I'm not mistaken, Officer Tolliver, this woman just confessed to driving her car at us."

The cop blinked, and then nodded. "Yes, you're right," he said. He stepped forward, taking his handcuffs from his belt. "Professor Templeton, you're under arrest for attempted murder."

The professor glared viciously at Castle and Beckett, but she didn't attempt to resist as LT cuffed her and recited her rights.

* * *

As the cop led Templeton away, Castle and Beckett took to the stairs again, climbing slowly back up to the office level. They didn't speak right away, both of them needing a moment to digest everything that had just happened.

When they came out of the stairwell and back into the hallway containing all of the professors' offices, Castle headed directly toward Templeton's office. Kate sighed and shook her head as she followed him, but made no attempt to stop him.

"Everything in here could be evidence, you know," was all she said, standing in the doorway as Castle strode into the office and began poking around at the papers on Templeton's desk.

"I'm not going to disturb anything," he said. "Ooh, what do we have here?" he added, bending over to pick up the recycling bin that sat underneath the desk.

"Castle, you can't just-"

"Check it out," he interrupted. He extracted a sheet of paper and held it up. It was the same plain white paper as all of the threatening notes, with the same stark black letters.

 ** _GIVE ME $5,000 AND I STAY QUITE_**

"Quite what?" Kate asked, cocking her head in confusion. Castle gave a grunt, half surprise and half amusement.

"Even crazy blackmailers make typos," he commented, pulling out another piece of paper.

 ** _GIVE ME $5,000 AND I STAY QUIET_**

"Oh, and she was upping the ante," he added as he pulled out yet another sheet.

 ** _GIVE ME $10,000 AND I STAY QUIET_**

"She went from five thousand to ten thousand?" Kate mused, shaking her head slowly. "Even if all of her targets paid up, that would only have given her fifty grand. Not exactly a huge retirement nest egg."

"Mm," Castle agreed. "On the other hand, if she asked for more, they might have refused to pay." He put the pages back into the recycling bin and slid it back under the desk. "Let's go see if Martinez is back yet. I want to confirm that he got the letters too, just to close that loop."

"Okay," Kate said, looking at her watch, "but we better make it quick. Don't forget, you've got a matinee to conduct."

"Oh, crap!" he exclaimed, checking his own watch. "You're right. We've got to get a move on."

* * *

 _Thank you once again for reading, and my apologies for the delay in posting this chapter. I can now say with certainty that this story will be 18 chapters in total. The last three chapters will be posted over the coming week. Enjoy. :)_


	16. Chapter 16

_Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life._  
\- Berthold Auerbach

* * *

"Diana? Really?" Greg exclaimed, when they told him what they had discovered that morning. "I'm, I mean, wow. I can't believe it. I mean, obviously I believe you guys," he corrected himself hastily. "I just mean-"

"We know," Kate said. "It was a surprise for us too."

They were in Castle's dressing room at the _Storm Surge_ theater again. Beckett and Castle were eating the sandwiches that they had grabbed from a deli on their way over, having had no time for a more leisurely lunch. Catching the blackmailer had taken up their whole morning, and now it was almost time for the Wednesday afternoon matinee.

Before they'd left Juilliard, they had managed to catch up with Professor Martinez in his office. He had shown them his copies of the blackmail letters, and they'd told him about Templeton's arrest. As the senior member of the faculty in Roy's absence, Martinez had agreed to go to the school administration and tell them what had happened. Castle and Beckett left it up to him to decide how much detail to give.

Now, in between bites, they filled Greg in on Diana Templeton's story. He leaned against the wall of the dressing room, frowning, picking at the bandage on his hand as he listened.

"Incredible. That's just - I feel awful," he said when they had finished. "I worked with her for all those years and had no idea. I mean, it's not like we were ever close. She was never a big one for socializing, small talk, but still." He sighed and shook his head. "A drug addiction? I honestly had no idea. She must have worked very hard to keep it a secret."

Kate went still at the words, her food suddenly turning to cardboard in her mouth. She swallowed with difficulty and reached for her water bottle, averting her eyes toward the table. Castle and Greg were still talking, but she tuned them out for a moment while she worked to get her emotions back under control.

It was disconcerting how she could go for hours without even thinking about her mother, and then an innocent comment could bring the grief roaring back at full force.

When she lifted her head again, Castle was looking at her with concern. He tilted his head slightly, a silent question, and she gave him a small, tight nod.

"Well, anyway, thank you so much, guys," Greg said. "I really, really appreciate it. I don't know what I would have done if - Well, I owe you one. Seriously."

"You're welcome," Castle said, turning to Greg with a small smile. "We're just glad we were able to help."

After Greg had left to go get into costume for the show, Castle reached across the table and took Kate's hand.

"I know you're tired of me asking if you're okay," he said, and let the end of the sentence dangle. Kate sighed and squeezed his hand.

"I'm fine, Castle. I just... it's a lot to take in."

"And a lot of old stuff coming back up. I know," he said, nodding. "Do you... want to talk about it?"

Kate sipped her water again, thinking it over. She had never been one for talking about feelings, but maybe it would help. Castle was a good listener, and he understood her better than anyone.

"I don't know," she said at last. "But certainly not this close to showtime."

"Fair enough." He gave her hand another squeeze, then released it to pick up his sandwich again.

Kate decided to change the subject. "I was thinking," she said, "about the first conversation I had with Templeton, on Saturday when I went over there asking about Greg."

"Yeah? What about it?"

"I didn't notice at the time," she said, "but now that I think about it, everyone else said things like, 'oh, there are always minor disagreements,' or 'no one's perfect, but Greg is a pretty good guy.' But Templeton was the only one who just said that everything is great, that Greg is a wonderful guy, no issues with him at all."

"Hmm. Interesting," Castle commented. "We know now that she was holding onto all this deep resentment against Greg, and everyone else in the department, for how she thought they had wronged her. She must have been trying to throw you off."

"Yeah, and it worked," Kate said with a grimace. "I didn't catch on to that at all."

"Hey, don't put yourself down, Beckett. You're still the one who basically solved this case."

"You found the car."

"You figured out how to draw out the car's owner," he countered. "Face it, we make a great team."

"Partners," she smiled.

"Partners," he echoed, smiling back. But then he pushed back his chair and stood up. "And now this team member needs to get ready for the show. Want to help me change into my tux, partner?"

"You never stop trying," she chuckled, shaking her head. She stood up too, and put her arms around Castle's waist. "I'm going to go, babe. I've got to see if this shoulder is going to give me trouble with the violin bowing, and in any case I need to do some singing practice too. I'll meet you after the show."

"Okay." He bent his head to kiss her, long and slow. His arms around her were strong and warm, making her feel like anything was possible. Like she could get through whatever came her way, as long as she had this man at her side.

"One of these days I'll convince you to undress me in this very room," he murmured against her lips. She laughed softly and kissed him again.

"Keep dreaming, Castle." And she picked up her purse and left the room.

* * *

Castle, like all good performers, was experienced at the skill of putting aside everything that was on his mind in order to focus completely on the show. So he didn't find it difficult to step up onto the conductor's podium that afternoon. He was still enjoying being back on _Storm Surge_ , although not without a tinge of relief that his week of guest-conducting was almost over.

When he returned to his dressing room at intermission, his phone was buzzing on the table, so he hastened to grab it before it went to voicemail. He saw Roy Montgomery's name on the screen as he swiped to answer.

"Hello?"

"Castle, hi, it's Roy." Montgomery didn't beat around the bush; he got straight to the point. "How is Kate? Is she still upset with me?" He added quickly, "She has every right, I know that. I just, I just needed to check in. Make sure she's okay."

"She's okay," Rick confirmed hesitantly. "But..."

"Listen, I'm not going to ask you to break any confidences," Roy said. "It's just, well, we have a session scheduled for Friday, and I... I don't know what to expect." He sighed. "I don't know if she'll even want to..."

"I understand," Castle told him. "But honestly, I don't know either. She's... it's a lot to process."

"Sure. Of course," Roy said, sounding resigned.

"But I'll ask her," Castle promised. "And I'll, I'll get back to you as soon as I can."

"Okay. Thanks, Rick."

"No problem. And, uh..." Castle paused, feeling that he should say something to set Roy's mind at ease about the threatening letter. But he wasn't sure how much to say, and with Kate not here to consult, he didn't want to overstep. Still, it couldn't hurt to at least tell Roy not to worry. "Listen," he said carefully, "about that letter you got, we straightened it out. You don't have to worry about it, okay?"

"Oh." Roy sounded surprised. "Good, that's great to know. Thank you."

After saying his goodbyes, Castle sat for a long moment, thinking about Kate and Roy. He felt sure, with his characteristic optimism, that his girlfriend would eventually come around to forgiving her mentor. But he also thought that maybe he could help to nudge it along a little bit. Their relationship was just too important to both of them; it had to be salvaged.

But now it was time to put those thoughts aside again, and focus on the second half of the show.

* * *

Kate went home from the theater and wasted no time in taking out her violin. Just as she had feared, the bruise on her shoulder twinged uncomfortably when she moved her bow across the strings. She only played for a couple of minutes before deciding that it wasn't going to work. It was a good thing she didn't have any tutoring sessions today, but she had one tomorrow, so she would need to get the shoulder back into shape.

She put the violin away, and, with a little bit of trial and error using a lightweight scarf, found a way to bind an ice pack onto her shoulder so that she didn't have to hold it in place with her other hand. The ice worked its magic while she did some vocal warmups and spent a while practicing her songs for _Carmina Burana_.

So much had happened in less than twenty-four hours since her session with Roy. It wasn't as easy as usual to put aside her feelings and focus on the music - not when the pages of each song were adorned with notations in both her and Roy's handwriting, each suggestion or bit of advice that he had offered bringing him back to the forefront of her mind all over again. Still, she managed a decent practice session at her piano, using her left hand to accompany herself minimally as she worked through the songs.

When she was finished, she returned the ice pack to the freezer and went out to get a few groceries. By the time she had gotten back home and put everything away, it was time to go meet Castle again.

Alexis met up with them at a quiet little Thai restaurant for an early dinner before the evening show. The teenager was bubbling over with excitement about the new school year, and spent much of the meal chattering away about her friends, her teachers, her classes, the projects she was especially looking forward to. She stopped herself a few times to apologize for monopolizing the conversation, but the truth was that neither Castle nor Beckett minded. Castle was enjoying his daughter's enthusiasm, and Kate was enjoying watching her boyfriend in paternal mode.

"So, I suppose I have a lot of homework tonight," Castle said at one point, when Alexis paused to take a breath and eat a little of her food.

Alexis was nodding with a grin, but Kate frowned, confused. "Don't you mean Alexis has homework?" she asked, drawing a giggle from the teen and a sigh from the father.

"Nope," he said with a dramatic widening of his eyes. "The beginning of the new school year means piles and piles of paperwork for me to fill out."

"Medical release forms, emergency contact forms, field trip permission slips, media waivers..." Alexis ticked off. "There's always a ton. And every year Dad complains that his writing hand hurts afterward."

"It always does," he pouted. The women both chuckled.

"Anyway, I'll leave it on your desk for you," Alexis told him. "But you can fill it all out tomorrow. It doesn't need to be back till Friday."

"Will do," he promised.

When the meal was over, Alexis hugged them both, and they put her in a taxi to return to the loft. Then, hand in hand, they strolled back to the _Storm Surge_ theater. The weather was beginning to take on a definite tinge of autumn; there was a slight nip in the air after the sun had gone down, and a few of the trees were beginning to show orange and brown among their green.

As usual, Castle tried to entice Kate into dressing-room shenanigans; as usual, she refused, though not without a certain amount of teasing. Eventually she kissed him, told him to break a leg, and hailed a taxi of her own to take her home.

After an hour of singing practice and a long hot bath, she tried her violin again and was relieved to find that her shoulder was starting to feel better. She didn't want to push it, so she only practiced for a half-hour before putting the violin away. She iced the shoulder again, took some Advil, and sat studying her _Carmina Burana_ score until her eyelids drooped.

It was early yet, but she'd had a long, exhausting few days. She put the music down and went to get ready for bed.

* * *

Castle and Beckett spent most of Thursday morning at the police station, giving statements to the police and the D.A. about their investigation into the threatening letters and the long-ago drug ring. First separately, and then together, they told the whole story several times to a sour-faced lawyer from the D.A.'s office.

The man seemed extremely skeptical about the whole thing, even after Detective Gates stopped by to fill him in on the murder investigation that Castle and Beckett had participated in last year. Castle was beginning to get annoyed with the guy's endless questions, which seemed designed to trip them up, to catch them in a lie or inconsistency. Of course, since they were telling the truth, there was nothing to catch, which only seemed to make the lawyer more suspicious.

But at last the man seemed satisfied. He shook their hands, thanked them with a reasonable degree of sincerity, and let them go. As they left the conference room, they ran into Greg, who had also been giving his statement.

"So, it sounds like they're going to charge Templeton with felony extortion," Castle commented as they all waited for the elevator together. "But they're still deciding whether to add a charge of attempted murder."

"Is it terrible if I say I hope they don't?" Kate asked quietly, her brow furrowed. "I mean, I know she drove the car at us deliberately, but I really don't think she meant to hurt us. She was just trying to scare us."

"That wouldn't have been much consolation if she'd actually hit us," Greg replied. His face was stony. "I get your point, Kate, but I can't say I'd be losing too much sleep over it, if they do go in that direction."

"Mm," was all Kate said. The elevator arrived, and they all got in.

"I've also been talking to the Juilliard administration," Greg said as the elevator descended. "They fired Diana, of course, but they're also looking at legal action."

"On what grounds?" Castle asked curiously.

Greg snorted, a wry smile twisting his lips. "Breach of contract, if you can believe it. Ironically, it's all because the computer and printer that she used to make the threatening letters are technically school property. And all faculty members' contracts have a clause about not using school property for illegal or immoral purposes."

"Huh," Castle said. "That is kind of ironic."

"There's some good news too, though," Greg said, looking sideways at them, seeming a little embarrassed. "The directors asked me to come back and teach again. With Roy out temporarily and now Diana, they're badly short-staffed, and they can't afford to take the time for a lengthy talent search. So they asked me to take on a few course sections, things that I can fit in around my other commitments. I can stay on in _Storm Surge_ , and I'll rearrange my private students' scheduling as needed."

"That sounds great," Kate said tentatively, as the elevator doors opened and they all exited. "But I thought you had retired from the school."

"Yeah, well." Greg waved a hand, still looking embarrassed. "I left because I thought I wanted to do bigger, better things. And I can't say I regret it, because it brought me to _Storm Surge_ , which has been a fantastic experience," he added, "and I'm not just saying that because it's you, Rick, I swear."

"I know," Castle nodded.

"But I really did enjoy teaching the class sessions," Greg went on, "and although I love private coaching too, it's a different kind of experience. I'm not saying I'll sign on for another long haul, but I can at least finish out this school year filling in on Diana's sections, and then we'll see."

"Well, I hope it works out for you," Castle said, and meant it. "Good luck."

"Thanks." Greg gave them both a smile and a little wave. "See you tonight." He started off down the sidewalk, as they turned away in the other direction.

"Lunch?" Castle said to Beckett, taking her hand. "Among other things?"

Her lips twitched, but she kept a straight face. "Sure, babe. I assume by other things you mean my singing practice and my tutoring session."

"Oh, right. Yes, of course that's what I meant," he grinned.

But later, when they were once again lying on Kate's bed, their bodies pleasantly entangled with each other, he decided to take the plunge. "Beckett..." he said slowly, "what are you going to do about Roy?"

He felt her body stiffen against him, and she let out a long sigh.

"Did you talk to him?" she asked, just a hint of accusation in her tone.

Castle considered lying for a nanosecond, but he knew he couldn't do that. "He called me yesterday," he said. "To see if you were thinking of canceling your lesson for tomorrow, but mostly he just wanted to make sure you were okay. He cares about you, Kate."

She didn't respond for so long that he began to think she might be angry enough to start giving him the silent treatment again. But at last she gave another sigh and shifted closer to him, her cheek against his chest, hair mostly covering her face.

"We've all wasted so much time on guilt," she murmured, almost inaudible. "Me, wondering why I wasn't a good enough daughter. My dad, thinking he wasn't a good enough husband. And Roy..." Her breathing hitched. "What must it have been like for him, holding on to that for so many years? He didn't even tell his wife."

"Mm," Castle agreed softly.

"Evelyn said that Roy buried himself in his work, trying to find another student who would be as..."

She paused, her shoulders trembling slightly. Castle tightened his arm around her, pressed his lips to her forehead.

"As special as my mom," Kate finally managed to finish. "And meanwhile I was doing the opposite - turning my back on singing. Both of us trying to atone somehow."

"But it wasn't your fault," he said, as quietly and gently as he could manage. He felt moisture dampening his skin where Kate's face was resting.

"It wasn't our fault," she echoed. "I wish he had said something sooner. We could have..." She trailed off again.

Castle reached over to the nightstand and pulled a handful of tissues from the box. Kate took them from his hand and lifted herself up, propping herself on one elbow to wipe her eyes.

"You don't have to decide right now," he said, brushing her hair back from her face. But she shook her head.

"No, I... I don't want to waste any more of our time. Not on guilt, and not on anger. It doesn't solve anything." She took a deep breath, blew it out, and wiped her eyes again. "I'll call him in a little while."

"Okay."

Kate sat up fully and turned to toss the used tissues into the wastebasket. Castle sat up too, rubbing her back lightly. The bruise on her shoulder had turned a livid purple with tinges of green, and he winced at the sight, although he knew that the changing colors meant it was healing.

"You're so strong," he murmured against her ear. "You never cease to amaze me."

She turned back toward him, her arms coming around his neck, her cheek dropping to his shoulder again. He hugged her back and tried not to notice that they were both still naked.

But before he could get too distracted, Kate let go of him, shook her hair out of her face again, and took a deep breath, pulling herself back together. "It's getting late, babe," she said. "I need to get some practice in and then go do my tutoring."

"Right, right," he sighed. But at least Kate's eyes were clear now, her demeanor calm. She wasn't the type to linger over a decision once it had been made.

"And you should get some rest before the big night," she added, looking at him with a serious expression, though her lips curved upward slightly.

"Oh yeah." He couldn't help a smile of his own as he thought about the upcoming evening. "It should be a good time tonight. But it's not that big a deal, you know."

"Don't pull that false modesty on me, Castle," she chided. "The thousandth performance _is_ a big deal. It's amazing."

"Well, okay," he conceded, "but it's not like I had much to do with it. The actors-"

"The actors do their part, but you wrote the show, babe. It wouldn't be anything without you." Kate reached up to cup his cheek with her palm, affection shining in her eyes. "You created this whole world, this whole story, all the characters and the incredible songs, the amazing music, and everyone loves it. I'm so proud of you."

Castle swallowed hard, gazing into her eyes. "Thank you," he managed. "God, I love you."

Kate smiled, but then shrieked when he tackled her back down onto the bed, kissing her soundly. "Castle! I love you too," she giggled between kisses, "but it's time to get going, seriously, babe."

"Right, right, I know," he said, but he kissed her again, and her hands slipped into his hair, and she moaned softly into his mouth, her naked body moving sinuously underneath his, and it was a while yet before they actually did get going.


	17. Chapter 17

_Music is nothing separate from me. It is me. I can't retire from music any more than I can retire from my liver. You'd have to remove the music from me surgically — like you were taking out my appendix._  
-Ray Charles

* * *

"So," said Castle as he followed Beckett out of her bedroom, fastening the cuffs on his shirt as he went, "since tonight is such a big deal, does this mean I'm gonna get lucky in the dressing room?"

She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "You certainly get points for persistence." Yet again she mentally kicked herself for having lost control that one time, in the early weeks of their relationship. It seemed like he would never stop trying to make it happen again, but she was determined to stay strong. That was _not_ how she wanted to end up on Page Six again.

"Would it help if I point out that this is our last chance for a while?" he wheedled. He continued to follow her as she moved through the living room, gathering up her sheet music and other items she would need for her tutoring session. "I mean, who knows how long it'll be before they ask me to conduct again?"

"That's true," she mused, keeping her expression neutral. "I guess it's a risk we'll have to take."

Castle laughed softly and kissed her cheek. "Hope springs eternal."

They parted ways at the subway station, getting onto separate trains; Castle was headed back to the loft to do some composing, and Kate went to meet with her tutoring student.

Her shoulder was feeling much better today, and fortunately didn't give her any trouble during the lesson. Afterward, she returned to her apartment and spent some time standing in front of her closet, trying to decide what to wear tonight.

She selected an outfit and laid it out on the bed, and then, still looking critically at the contents of her closet, picked up the phone and dialed.

"Hi, Kate!"

"Hey, Lanie. How's it going?"

"Not bad. The usual," her friend said. "What's up?"

"Listen, I know I said I was too busy to hang out," Kate said, letting a bit of embarrassment creep into her tone, "but I just realized that I need a new dress for the _Carmina Burana_ concert. I can't keep wearing the same two gowns to every gig."

"Girl, are you asking me to go shopping with you?" Lanie sounded simultaneously astonished, delighted, and suspicious. "It's not even anywhere near April Fools."

"Shut up," Kate said, blushing. "I just... I need the perfect thing. Something that will really wow Castle."

"Honey, you know you could show up in sweats and sneakers and that boy's jaw would drop to the floor," her friend said with fond amusement. "But of course I'll help. I'm picking the store, and the refreshments are on you."

"Deal," Kate grinned. "How's Saturday?"

"Morning, when the shops aren't too crowded yet?"

"Sure, that sounds perfect. Thanks, Lanie."

"See you then."

After hanging up, Kate took a shower and then made herself a quick sandwich. But as she sat at her kitchen table, poking at the last few crumbs on her plate, she heaved a sigh, knowing that she shouldn't put off the next phone call any longer than she already had.

She rinsed the plate and put it in the sink, and then went into the living room and sat down on the couch with the phone in her hand.

She took a few deep, calming breaths, and dialed Roy's number.

He answered almost immediately. "Hello? Kate?"

"Hi," she said, feeling awkward. "Um, Castle told me that you called."

"Oh, right. Yes. I just wanted... to make sure you were all right." Her mentor's voice sounded tired and sad, tugging at Kate's heart. Her gut churned with an uncomfortable mixture of feelings.

"I'm okay, Roy," she said quietly. "It's been a, a pretty difficult week."

"Sure. I understand," he replied, and she fought back a flash of indignation, because how could he understand? But that was unfair, she told herself firmly. He was trying, and so should she.

"So, um," she said, biting her lip, "I'll see you tomorrow at the usual time? If, uh, if Evelyn says you're up to it."

"Of course I am," he said immediately. "Of course I am, for you, Kate."

"Okay." She took another careful breath. "Okay, see you tomorrow, then."

"See you tomorrow. Yes. Good night."

"Good night."

She hung up the phone and stood up to stretch the tension of the conversation out of her muscles. Her chest and throat felt tight too, so she went to the kitchen to drink some water, and did a few breathing exercises.

Then she went back to the bedroom to put on the outfit she had selected. It was time to head out to the theater for her boyfriend's big night.

* * *

Castle had gone straight home after leaving Kate's apartment. The loft was empty and quiet. Checking the time, he set an alarm on his phone for two hours, and then he settled in at the piano with an unruly heap of paper.

Over the past few days he hadn't gotten a lot of time to compose, but he had stolen opportunities here and there - mostly in the wee hours when the call of nature woke him, or at odd moments in between working on the case with Kate, conducting the show, and everything else. Underneath all the other emotions of this very hectic week was the buzzing excitement of creation, that skin-tingly feeling that he got when a new story, with all of its melodies and harmonies, was coming to life.

He had bits and pieces of several new songs floating around in his head, and at the moment none of them had quite fully gelled, nor had the plot that tied them all together. But he wasn't frustrated yet. He knew it was going to happen; he could feel it.

The other night, when Kate's nightmare had woken her, he'd been messing around with a new idea for an action scene. It was loosely inspired by their near-miss with the car, but for his purposes he had raised the stakes. Nikki and Rook were involved in a shootout with some criminals in - what else? - an abandoned warehouse. A rogue cop ambushed them, and Rook flung himself in front of Nikki, fully prepared to take a bullet for her.

What Castle couldn't quite decide yet was whether the bullet actually hit Rook. Or maybe, despite Rook's best efforts, the bullet hit Nikki instead. Or, on the other hand, maybe they had both been smart enough to wear their bulletproof vests, so the bullets bounced harmlessly off of them... Nah, that was boring.

That was what he had been debating with himself when he heard Kate cry out in the throes of her dream. When he'd gone into the bedroom to make sure she was all right, and found himself looking down at Kate's terrified face, wild-eyed and gasping with the horror of whatever she'd dreamt, he'd realized immediately that there was no way he could let Nikki Heat take a bullet. It would have to be Rook. He would do anything for her.

That decision having been made, he assembled the scraps of songs that he had so far into a loose semblance of chronological order, waiting for them to show him the story that they formed. The plot was still more of a vague outline than anything else, but he had a few key elements figured out already. It was enough for now. He separated out the newest song and began to work on fleshing out its melody and accompaniment.

Engrossed in his work, he was startled when his daughter laid a hand lightly on his shoulder.

"Dad?"

"Alexis, hey," he exclaimed, blinking, turning to look at her. "What's up?"

"It's almost time to get ready to go," she said. Checking his phone, he saw that there were only a few minutes left until his alarm would have gone off.

"Perfect. Thanks, pumpkin." He stood up from the piano bench and gave his daughter a hug. "How was the second day of school?"

"Great," she beamed. "Want to hear all about it?"

"Of course!" He released her and stretched, rolling his head on his neck. "You talk, I'll make the sandwiches."

* * *

The enormous open space of the theater was still resounding with the cheers and applause of the audience after the third curtain call, but the cast of _Storm Surge_ , rather than leaving the stage, stood in place; the house lights remained dark, the stage illuminated; the curtain wasn't coming down. The performers stood on the stage, smiling and waving at the appreciative crowd, as Castle descended from his conducting podium and made his way around the perimeter of the orchestra pit to the stairs at the side.

Someone handed him a microphone, and when he reached the stage, a spotlight illuminated him, making him seem to shine even brighter than the cast around him. He took a moment to shake the hands of the principal performers, saying a few words to each, and then gave a smile to all the rest before turning to face the audience.

"Thank you. Thank you so much," he said into the microphone, beaming from ear to ear. The audience's applause gradually began to ebb as he spoke. In the luxury box high above the stage, Kate stood with Martha and Alexis, taking part in the standing ovation that the audience had given the end of the show.

It had seemed to Kate that Castle had conducted tonight's performance with extra vigor, throwing himself into the music with the flair that his fans loved. She knew that this week had been tiring for him - nine performances in eight days, on top of everything else he had been doing - but she also knew that he loved it. Conducting wasn't Castle's primary passion, but it was something he enjoyed, and it kept him engaged with his own music even long after a composition had been finished and sent out into the world.

So, for that reason, Kate had been happy to see Castle clearly having such a good time doing the show tonight. Of course, on a more basic level, she had gotten her own enjoyment from watching him conduct, like she always did. She'd been glad for the cover of darkness as she sat between his mother and daughter, watching Castle's body move to the beat.

"Thank you," Castle said again as the audience quieted. "Ladies and gentlemen, it's such an honor to be here with you tonight. I don't know if you've heard, but tonight's performance was a very special one." Light laughter rippled through the theater. "This was the one-thousandth performance of _Storm Surge_ here in this very theater," Castle continued, "and I hope you'll all indulge me for a minute, because there are so many people who have contributed to the success of this show, and I need to acknowledge them tonight."

The audience was rapt; a few people were pushing their way out of the rows of seats and leaving, but most stayed. Kate saw more than a few phones held up, pointed at the stage. Taking pictures or video during the show was strictly forbidden, but this speech was different.

"First and foremost," Castle said, "I have to thank this amazing, fantastic cast. I couldn't have asked for a better group of performers to bring my story to life. Aren't they great?" He swept his arm backward, indicating the entire group of singers and dancers on the stage, and they all smiled as the audience burst into applause again.

Castle waited it out, and as the clapping died down, he went on. "And of course that includes our amazing orchestra. I know you can't see them too well down there in the pit, but believe me, you'd have noticed if they didn't show up." More laughter. "Give them a big hand, folks," he urged, and the audience obeyed.

"Of course, we also have to thank the people who make everything work behind the scenes," Castle continued. "Thank you to the directors, the lighting crew, the sound crew, set designers, the stage hands, the house managers, front-of-house staff, the janitors, the ushers, and everyone else making the magic happen backstage. Thank you to our publicity team, the marketing team, the general manager of the theater. And where would we be without the deep pockets of our executive producers?" He gestured toward the first row of seats. "Geoffrey and Alice, thank you so much for believing in me and my shows, and for putting your money where your mouths are."

He waited out another round of applause.

"I also need to thank you, all of you out there in the seats," he said next. "If you guys weren't coming to the show, talking about the show, buying the soundtrack, telling your friends to come to the show, telling strangers you see on the street to come to the show, we'd be nowhere. It's not much fun to put on a show without any butts in the seats, let me tell you." Another round of laughter. "So, thank you for coming, and be sure to tell all of your friends what a great time you had."

As the audience was laughing and applauding, Castle turned serious; his lips were still curved in a smile, but the teasing twinkle in his eyes was gone, replaced by a more earnest expression.

"Last, but absolutely and definitely not least," he said. His voice had dropped lower, and the entire hall fell silent, hanging on his every word. "I have to thank my family. There's no way, absolutely no way any of this would have been possible without them. My fabulous, colorful, effervescent mother... My brilliant, kind-hearted, level-headed daughter..."

He paused, lifting his eyes toward the top of the theater, and Kate knew that the stage lights shining on him made it completely impossible for him to see her, but even still it felt like he was looking directly into her eyes.

"And the love of my life," he finished, the tender words ringing out through the space like a caress. "You make everything possible."

Kate felt tears springing to her eyes as she smiled back at him, even though she knew he couldn't see. She could feel Martha and Alexis looking at her, and some of the audience members were turning, craning their necks upward to catch a glimpse, but none of it registered. She only had eyes for the man on the stage.

Castle, ever the showman, drew out the moment for exactly the right length of time. Then, breaking into a wide grin again, he pulled his gaze back down to the audience and proclaimed, "Again, thank you all so much, and have a wonderful evening."

The audience applauded again, and the house lights came up. Castle turned back toward the cast members and began shaking their hands as the curtain came down, shielding them from view.

"He certainly knows how to make a speech, doesn't he?" Martha said with humor in her voice, but her eyes were soft as she put a hand on Kate's shoulder. Kate smiled and nodded, brushing the moisture from her eyes with her fingertips.

"You can say that again," she agreed.

Alexis, smiling, leaned over to give her a hug. "I'm glad you're part of our family," she murmured into Kate's ear.

The words gave Kate pause. As she replayed Castle's speech in her mind, she realized that he had, indeed, implicitly included her in his family. She hoped his mother and daughter couldn't see how her face flushed hot at the thought, a strange sensation twisting in the pit of her stomach.

The three of them made their way down the stairs and backstage, where there was a celebratory atmosphere filling the space even as everyone was doing their usual post-show routine: stagehands putting sets and props away, performers removing their makeup and changing their clothes, orchestra members packing away their instruments.

Castle was surrounded by a small crowd of performers and crew members, all chattering away at him, and he was smiling as he answered them, clearly enjoying himself. But he lit up even brighter when he caught sight of the three women, and with a hasty "Excuse me" he pushed his way out of the group to greet them.

"Dad!" Alexis said, and squealed when he swept her up into a hug. "Great show," she said, and he thanked her, smiling fondly into her eyes as he set her back on her feet.

Next he embraced his mother, closing his eyes briefly as he bent down to her. Martha murmured some words in his ear, too low for Kate to make out, and his ears were pink when he straightened back up again.

Then his eyes met Kate's and her breath stopped in her throat, just for a moment, at the expression on his face. She was the one who moved first, suddenly eager to touch him; not the feral possessiveness of the other night, just a simple craving. She came forward and lifted her arms around his neck, pressing a kiss to his cheek as his arms came around her body.

"That was amazing," she purred into his ear. She could feel the residual energy of the night still buzzing in his body, his muscles almost trembling with it. When he chuckled, his chest vibrated against hers, making her skin tingle.

"Do you mean the opera, or the speech?" he teased, pulling back a little to look into her eyes. His expression was almost giddy. She couldn't help smiling back at him.

"Mm," she hummed, "well, the opera _was_ pretty good."

"Tease." Smirking, Castle pressed his lips to hers, a restrained kiss in deference to the throngs of people surrounding them, but she could feel how badly he wanted to make it something more. She slid her hands down to his chest and gently pushed him away.

"Is there an after-party, babe?"

"Yeah," he confirmed, reluctantly letting go of her, but keeping one arm loosely around her waist. "There's a little shindig at a bar a couple blocks away. They got a cake and everything, from what I heard."

"Sounds great," she smiled. "You should go get changed, then."

His eyes flashed and sparked at her, but she just grinned. No way was she going back to the dressing room with him right now, watching him take off his tux. Not when he still had that post-performance euphoria singing through his veins. She knew exactly where that would lead.

"I'll keep your mom company till you're ready," she said, holding back a smile at the exaggerated pout he gave her. "Go on, babe."

She pushed him away again, but he grabbed her hand and reeled her back in, planting another hot, wet kiss on her before he sauntered away, grinning.

* * *

There was indeed a cake at the party: an enormous one, with Derrick Storm's logo and the number 1,000 drawn on it in decorative icing. Castle was conscripted to slice it, and although the cast and crew chanted "Speech, speech!" he declined to declaim again, shaking his head and smiling at them all as he wielded the knife. He'd already said his piece back at the theater.

He enjoyed the party, which was lively and cheerful, but even as he was circulating among the crowd, laughing and chatting, accepting handshakes and hugs and pats on the back, he was constantly aware of Kate. She sat at the bar chatting with the performers as they came and went; she was looking elegant and almost regal with her straight posture, her hair up in a tidy bun, her long legs on display under a short but tasteful skirt. His eyes were drawn to her again and again, his skin tingling with the knowledge that at the end of the evening he was the one who got to take this woman home.

Alexis had skipped the party and gone straight home, since it was a school night; Martha had come along to the party, but disappeared early on, probably heading out to another soiree of some kind. So when at last he decided that he'd had enough of the carousing, he signaled Kate with his eyes, and she nodded, smiling her secretive little smile as she slipped off to the restroom.

He took a few more minutes to say his goodbyes, and then at last he was alone in a taxi with Kate, his ears ringing from the comparative silence after the boisterous atmosphere of the party.

He gave his address to the cabbie and then immediately turned to his girlfriend, pulling her closer to him on the car's seat. "You look gorgeous tonight, by the way," he husked into her ear.

"Thanks," she murmured back, her voice catching. She clutched his shoulders, and he could feel her breast pressing against his ribs, her breathing shallow and fast. "Rick..."

"Hmm?" He was busy kissing his way along her jaw. His hand was on her knee, sliding stealthily up under that short skirt.

"That - that speech you made," she panted. "It was - I don't even-"

"All true," he vowed. "Meant every word." He moved lower, nipping at the sensitive spot under her ear. She gasped breathily and pushed his hand out from under the skirt.

"Oh god," she moaned. "Are we there yet?"

His fingers teased at the soft skin of her inner thigh, right at the edge of the skirt. "I can get you there in-"

"Castle!"

He chuckled low in his throat and lifted his head to capture her lips. She surged against him, whimpering as her mouth opened under his.

Fortunately, it was only a few more minutes before the cab arrived at his loft. They tumbled out of the elevator and stumbled into his bedroom, tugging frantically at each other's clothes, both equally eager to get to skin on skin. The door of the bedroom slammed shut and they fell onto the bed, wrapped up in each other.

* * *

On Friday morning, Kate was the first one awake as usual, and she left Castle sleeping while she showered and then picked up the clothing they'd left scattered across the floor of his bedroom. She grinned to herself as she dumped the items into the hamper, and then opened his closet to see what she had to wear.

There was a pair of jeans and a t-shirt that would do well enough; she made a mental note to do some laundry and then do an inventory of what needed to be swapped out between Castle's place and hers. As she got dressed, she found herself thinking about the inconvenience of keeping track of her wardrobe at two different locations. How much easier it would be if they both lived in the same place.

The thought startled her, and she froze in the middle of the bedroom with her jeans halfway on, forgetting to breathe for a moment. Where on earth had that come from?

Slowly she began to move again, glancing over at Castle and feeling very glad that he was still asleep and couldn't see her getting flustered. She pulled the jeans up and fastened them, then reached for the t-shirt.

Was it really that strange to think about moving in together? she asked herself as she went out to the kitchen and filled the teapot. They'd been dating for nearly a year, after all. And she was more serious about Castle than she'd ever been with a man before. It was difficult - no, impossible - for her to imagine ever wanting anyone else.

But where would she put her piano? she found herself wondering somewhat irrelevantly. She shook her head at herself. Stupid. It was silly to even be thinking about moving in together, when Castle had never said a thing about it. Maybe he didn't even want that yet. She was getting way ahead of herself.

Biting her lip, she pushed those thoughts out of her head and tried to focus on the day's agenda instead as she opened the fridge.

Just a few minutes later, as Kate was slicing some fruit into her bowl of yogurt, Castle and Alexis emerged from their separate domains. Both were dressed and groomed, although the daughter was much more perky than the father.

"Good morning," Kate said, amused, as Rick went straight for the coffee machine and Alexis the fridge. The two of them stepped around each other in what looked like a well-rehearsed dance.

"Morning," Alexis answered, giving Kate a smile. Rick might have said something, but it was drowned out by the whirr and grumble of the coffee machine grinding its beans.

"You must have a rehearsal today," the teenager added, looking at Kate's steaming cup of green tea and her breakfast of yogurt and fruit.

"I do," Kate confirmed, returning Alexis's smile. "And a voice lesson," she added, looking somewhat hesitantly at Castle, as she realized she hadn't told him about that.

Castle raised his eyebrows over the rim of his coffee cup. "Oh?" he said, sounding more awake now that he'd taken a few sips. "You talked to Roy?"

"Yeah," she nodded. She dropped her eyes to the fruit in her bowl, trying to appear casual, for Alexis's sake if nothing else.

Castle seemed to get the message. "Good," was all he said, but he put his cup down and came over to give her a hug.

Kate rested her cheek on his shoulder, closing her eyes, just enjoying the feeling of being in his arms. He made her feel safe, gave her confidence when she needed it most. She slid her arms around his back and gave him a squeeze.

"Guys, you're blocking the toaster," Alexis complained good-naturedly, leaning around them to get at the appliance. Kate huffed and let go of Castle, flushing a little.

"Sorry."

His eyes twinkled at her as he echoed her apology. "Sorry, pumpkin. You got all that paperwork, right?"

"Yep, thanks," Alexis replied as she pushed down the lever on the toaster. "You'll probably have more homework over the weekend."

"Something else to look forward to," he joked, opening the fridge. "Anyone want a s'morelet?"

* * *

 _Thanks again for reading! One more chapter to go. If you saw me fretting on Twitter this week about where to break the chapters, you may like to know that I decided to stick with the original structure, which results in an extra-long final chapter. I know you won't be complaining. :)_

 _There is a Castle Pornado this weekend, and I'm not sure whether I'll be able to finish a full-length story for it, but I will have some mini-fics on my tumblr if you want to check them out._


	18. Chapter 18

_When you sing a song of love, you're actually giving something to yourself, too. You're singing and casting these affirmations of love out into the universe._  
-Jason Mraz

* * *

Roy Montgomery seemed a little surprised to find Castle standing there alongside Beckett when he opened his front door, but he took it in stride. "Come in," he invited, stepping back to open the door wider. His normal stoic demeanor had returned, but there was something in the way he looked at Kate that wasn't usual at all.

"I hope you don't mind," Kate said with careful formality, gesturing to Castle, "but we wanted to tell you what we found out, about that letter you got, and the drug ring all those years ago."

"Sure," Roy said, his eyebrows lifting. "Sounds like you've been busy."

"You could say that," Castle agreed. They followed Roy into the living room and, bypassing the piano, took seats on the sofa.

"When you were here the other day, you mentioned that someone else had gotten the same letter," Roy said once they were settled. "I take it that means someone had asked you to look into it."

"Yes," Kate admitted, ducking her head in embarrassment. Castle smiled ruefully. He knew Kate was less than thrilled with how many people knew about their history of dabbling in criminal investigations.

"Yes," Castle echoed, meeting Roy's eyes. "In fact, it turns out that a lot of the professors got the same letter. All of the ones who are still there, who were there when Bill Forrester was running his drug ring."

"All of them?" Roy repeated. "This sounds like quite a story."

That was Castle's cue, and he took it, laying out the whole thing for Roy, starting with when Greg had approached them a week ago to ask them to look into the matter. He left out the part about Templeton attacking them with her car - he hadn't discussed it with Kate in advance, but felt instinctively that she wouldn't want to worry Roy with that detail.

Kate kept quiet through most of his recitation, inserting a quiet word here and there but largely letting him tell the story in his own way. Castle knew that she was still feeling awkward and nervous about facing Roy, and that was a big part of why she had brought him to her lesson today. He was there for moral support, and to provide a little bit of a buffer in those first few uncomfortable moments - although Kate hadn't put it that way when she'd hesitantly asked him to come along, he knew that was her intent.

He didn't mind. Whatever it took to help her and Roy start rebuilding their relationship, Castle was willing to do.

When he'd finished telling Roy about their discoveries and the aftermath, the older man blew out a breath, sinking back against the couch cushions. His eyes were hooded as he stared at the floor, thinking it over.

"I don't know what to say," Roy said after a moment. "I honestly had no idea about any of this. Diana was always closed off, I wouldn't say antisocial, but not the chatty type."

"That's what Greg said too," Kate murmured.

"I'm glad to know that Greg is going to fill in for her," Roy added. "He's a steady guy, and those students will be needing that now." He pursed his lips, frowning. "The dean and the directors must be going out of their minds, with me out and now Diana too."

"I'm sure they understand, you need time to heal," Castle said. Roy huffed with distaste at that.

"Not as much time as the doctors said," he complained mildly, but then he shook that off. "Well, that's neither here nor there. Thank you," he said, lifting his eyes to Castle, "for telling me all of this. For looking into it." He turned to look at Kate, including her in the statement as well. "I appreciate it."

"We were glad to do it," Kate said, her cheeks coloring slightly.

Roy reached over, somewhat tentatively, and covered Kate's hand with his own. "Sounds like you've had quite a week," he said softly. "A lot of difficult discoveries."

Kate stared at him, her jaw tightening as she swallowed thickly. "It's okay," she said carefully. "It was all... necessary."

"Yeah." Roy sighed. "Necessary can be a bitch." He studied Kate's face. "But you're ready to sing?"

"Yes," she said firmly. She lifted her other hand and rested it on top of Roy's for a brief moment. Then, disentangling from him, she reached for her purse. "The next rehearsal is tonight."

"Let's get started, then," Roy said decisively. He stood up, and looked over at Castle again. "Are you staying?"

"Uh..." Castle looked at Beckett. He had never sat in on one of her lessons before; it had never even occurred to him to ask. Now that he thought about it, he would love to observe a session sometime. It would probably be good inspiration for Nikki... but today didn't seem like the right time. Kate needed privacy with Roy, to start getting their relationship back toward normal.

So Castle stood up, giving them both a smile. "I'll just go take a walk and come back," he said. Kate looked as if she wanted to object, but she held her tongue. He kissed her cheek and turned to the door as Kate and Roy began moving toward the piano.

Rick wandered around Roy's neighborhood for a while, enjoying the pleasant sunny early-autumn weather and the ample opportunities for people-watching. He found a tiny park a few streets over, and sat for a while on a bench, notebook in hand. He watched the people go by: nannies pushing strollers, elderly couples with canes and walkers, dog-walkers, mail carriers, and even the occasional businessperson in pinstriped suit, talking on earpieces and gesturing into the empty air as they walked.

He jotted down some thoughts about the plot of the new opera he'd been working on, thought about it for a while, crossed out some of his notes, wrote new notes, thought some more, wrote some more.

Eventually he put away the notebook and began walking again, finding a coffee shop, where he got an iced latte for himself and an iced green tea for Kate. Then he found his way back to Roy's house.

As he walked up the front stairs, he could hear Kate's voice floating out through the open window. She was up near the top of the soprano range, singing a series of notes that rambled up and down in groups of three, alternating fast and slower. She paused, and Castle could just barely hear the low rumble of Roy's voice, and then Kate started again.

Castle stood on the doorstep, listening; he didn't want to disturb the moment by ringing the bell. But after a moment Evelyn Montgomery opened the door.

"Saw you standing out there," she said in a low voice, ushering him inside. "I was just about to tell them it's time to stop anyway."

"How's he doing, really?" Castle asked quietly as he stepped into the foyer.

Evelyn shrugged, a small smile gracing her lips. "Still complaining mightily," she huffed with a shake of her head, "but he's doing well. Honestly, he's been so much better since Kate called yesterday."

"Good," Castle murmured. "That's good."

He realized then that the music from the next room had stopped, and he could hear Kate and Roy talking. Castle stepped toward the doorway, smiling when he saw the two of them at the piano, Roy sitting and Kate standing, their heads bent over the music together.

Just then they stopped, both nodding, and Roy spotted Rick and Evelyn in the doorway. "Ah, perfect timing," he said in his reserved way. He pushed himself up onto his feet as Kate closed her score and turned to put it away in her bag.

"Everything good?" Castle asked, keeping his tone light. "All set for the rehearsal tonight?"

"Yes," Roy and Kate answered in unison. They looked at each other, surprised, and both laughed. It lifted Castle's heart to see it, even though there was still a hint of self-consciousness in both of them. But he could see that things were better between them, and Evelyn could see it too, he thought; she was smiling as well.

"It should be fine," Roy said to Kate. "You're in good shape for it. Call me tomorrow and let me know how it went."

"I will. Thanks," Kate said, coloring slightly. Even the mildest of praise from Roy seemed to have that effect on her.

"See you Tuesday?" Roy added.

She nodded, and this time Castle could see that her smile was genuine. "Yes," she said with perfect poise. "See you then."

* * *

Castle was again standing by Kate's side when she rang the doorbell on Sunday afternoon, this time at her father's door. Her heart was light; the rehearsal on Friday evening had gone very well, and her shopping trip with Lanie had also been a success. There was another busy week ahead - it was time to begin rehearsals with the symphony for the upcoming Haydn recordings, as well as more _Carmina Burana_ rehearsals, tutoring sessions, and continued lessons with Roy - but for tonight, this was all she needed: a nice quiet dinner with her two favorite men.

Jim opened the door, a warm smile already on his face for the two of them. "Come in, come in."

"Hi, Dad," Kate said, stepping through the door and wrapping her father in a hug. "How was your week?"

"Fine, fine. Boring," he said, squeezing her in return, then releasing her to shake Castle's hand. "Rick, nice to see you."

"Likewise," Castle agreed. "You're sure you don't mind me butting in?"

"Don't be silly. You're always welcome," Jim said easily. "You brought the pizza, right?"

"Dad," Kate chided, unable to hold back a giggle at the look of dismay on Castle's face.

"Just having a little fun," Jim chuckled. "Relax, son. I've got dinner in the oven."

"Peas in a pod, you two," Castle grumbled good-naturedly. "Here," he added, handing Jim a bottle. "Organic artisanal nonalcoholic sparkling cider."

"Thank you," Jim said, genuinely pleased. "This looks like it calls for the good wine glasses. Get them out, would you, Katie? I've got to check on the chicken."

The three of them settled in at the table, and within a few minutes they were chatting comfortably over the meal Jim had made. The conversation flowed easily, and they were all smiling as the food slowly disappeared.

When the meal was over and they stood to help clear the table, Kate took a deep breath and decided it was time. "Dad," she said as she followed Jim into the kitchen with a pile of dishes, "I learned something new this week, about - about Mom."

"Oh?" Jim put his stack of dishes in the sink and turned to take Kate's pile from her hands. "From Roy?"

"Yeah," she agreed. Castle came in then, carrying the empty wine glasses, and gave her an encouraging smile.

"Thanks," Jim said to Rick, taking the glasses.

"No problem."

Castle came over to stand next to Kate, his arm slipping around her waist, his silent support giving her strength.

"Did you ever wonder," she asked her father, "where she got the pills from?"

"Sure," Jim said, calmly, but with a slight frown. "The police asked me about that."

"They did?" Kate felt her eyebrows go up, but after a moment's thought she realized that made sense. Of course, the police would have found out that Johanna didn't have a prescription for the Valium, so they would have known that she'd gotten it illegally.

"I couldn't tell them anything," Jim said, sighing, staring at his hands. "I didn't have a clue where she'd gotten it from. But I..." He paused, looking up at Kate. "Oh. It was Roy, then?"

"Yeah," Kate acknowledged. She bit her lip, breathed carefully, and added, "There was a guy at the school who was selling drugs, and Roy got the Valium from him."

"I see." Jim was quiet, digesting this. Kate leaned against Rick, covering his hand with hers where it rested on her hip. Then she disengaged from him and moved to the sink to start rinsing the dishes.

"Well," Jim said after a minute or two, "I suppose I shouldn't be all that surprised. He cared about her, I know that. I'm sure he thought he was trying to help." He moved to Kate's side, touching her shoulder. "Leave that, Katie. It can wait."

"No, I-"

"Come on." Jim reached over and turned off the faucet. "Let's have dessert first. I've got some ice cream." He handed Kate a dishtowel and studied her face as she dried her hands. "How do _you_ feel about this?" he asked gently. "About Roy. It took him all this time to tell you this?"

"He - I was... I was pretty mad at first," Kate admitted. "But it's like you said... he was just trying to help. He didn't know." She sighed. "What's the use of being angry at him for it? It doesn't fix anything."

"No, it doesn't. But it's still okay to be angry," Jim said softly. Kate pressed her lips together and swallowed hard, blinking, fighting back a wave of tears.

"I know," she said, when she could control her voice again. "But I'm not. Not any more."

Jim nodded acceptance. "Okay," he said. "Good. Good." He pulled her into a tight hug, and she felt something loosen in her chest as she hugged him back.

Castle was quietly taking out bowls and spoons in the background, and by the time Jim and Kate let each other go, both wiping at their eyes, Castle had the ice cream ready. They sat around the kitchen table to eat it, and Kate let Rick tell the story again of the week they had spent investigating the blackmail notes. She was grateful that, as he had with Roy, he omitted the part about the car attack. She definitely didn't need either Roy or her father to be worrying about that.

"Well, you've had a busy week, Katie," Jim said with humor in his voice when Castle had finished the story. "Should I be expecting you to change careers again, become a private investigator? Maybe join the FBI?"

"Dad," she groaned. "Don't give him any ideas." But it was too late. Castle's eyes were already unfocusing as his imagination ran wild.

"I just had the best idea for our Halloween costumes this year," he gushed. Jim laughed out loud, his spoon clattering in his bowl as he gave over to it, his whole body shaking with mirth while Kate just shook her head and rolled her eyes.

After they had finished dessert and helped clean up, Kate excused herself and went to the bathroom. Finished, she washed her hands and checked herself in the mirror. Her eye makeup was ever so slightly smudged, but not too bad. She stared at her reflection for a long moment, not really seeing it, as her mind wandered back over the conversation.

She had told her dad the truth; she really wasn't angry at Roy any more. There were still a lot of feelings to work through, but it was going to be okay. She was determined, as she had told Castle, not to let anger and guilt run her life any more.

When she came out of the bathroom, she found Castle and Jim in the living room, standing next to the bookcase where Jim had his family photos on display - dozens of them, from his earliest days with Johanna all the way through Kate's teen years. But the two men weren't looking at the pictures; they were deep in conversation, their heads bent close together, and they both startled when she came in. Their heads came up almost in unison; they stepped away from each other, both looking slightly guilty.

"What's up?" she asked.

"Oh... nothing," Castle said, just a shade too casually.

"Nothing," Jim echoed, smiling innocently. "I was just showing Rick some more of your baby pictures."

"Okay," she said skeptically. She was pretty sure there was something else going on, but maybe it was just her imagination working overtime. Castle and his endless conspiracy theories rubbing off on her, she thought ruefully. "Well, we should get going," was all she said, moving forward to hug her father again. "Thanks for having us over, Dad."

"Yes, thank you," Castle added. "For everything."

"It's my pleasure," Jim replied, smiling fondly at both of them. "Break a leg at that concert, Katie. I can't wait to hear all about it."

"I'll tell you all about it at dinner next Sunday," she promised.

A few minutes later, she and Castle were strolling toward the subway entrance, hand in hand. "That was nice," Castle said. "I want to have your dad over for dinner at the loft sometime soon. Return the favor."

"That sounds great," she murmured. "But you don't have to try too hard, you know, babe. He already likes you."

Castle smiled a little, squeezing her hand. "I know," he acknowledged. "How about this - I'll put together a menu, and you can tell me if I'm going overboard."

"Deal," she agreed, smiling back. They paused for a sweet, lingering kiss at the top of the subway stairs and then descended, their fingers still entwined.

* * *

Nearly a week later, Castle was sitting in the audience, surrounded by dignitaries, luminaries, and VIPs, listening to the _Carmina Burana_ concert. He was enjoying himself immensely - even more so now that the brief intermission had passed and Kate had come onto the stage along with the other soloists. For the first half, she had stayed backstage.

Kate looked stunning in the gown that she and Lanie had picked out. She'd modeled it for Castle earlier that day, and he knew she had been pleased by his reaction. He only regretted that she hadn't allowed him to take it off her, but maybe later tonight he would get that honor. The dress was a deep burgundy velvet ("Lanie wanted something in a fire-engine red, so this was our compromise") and hugged Kate's figure in all the right places, with a dramatically flared full skirt and a neckline that was just deep enough to display a tantalizing hint of cleavage, but high enough to be socially acceptable - even elegant.

Now she was sitting on her chair at the front of the stage, her hands folded on top of the musical score in her lap, a slight smile on her face as she listened to the baritone soloist. He was singing _Estuans interius_ , a forceful aria about leading a life of vice after having been mistreated by fate.

Castle had spent some time in the past few days refreshing his memory of _Carmina Burana_ , reading over the translations of the various Latin and German texts, the better to enhance his appreciation of the performance. He had followed along raptly during the first half of the concert, as the chorus and the baritone soloist sang passionately about the cruelty of the goddess Fortune and then about the delights of springtime, with lyrics full of not-at-all-subtle sexual allusions.

One of his favorite numbers was _Chramer, gip die varwe mir_ , in which the sopranos of the choir played the part of a woman of dubious virtue. She entreated a merchant to give her makeup, and then exhorted all young men in the vicinity to admire her. The rest of the choir responded with a low, slow hum, which Castle thought was meant to evoke a mental image of the young men indecisively eyeing the heavily rouged woman.

 _"Seht mich an, jungen man!"_ the sopranos sang, and Castle had grinned as he imagined the prostitute chasing the nervous young man around the marketplace, boldly urging him to look at her.

That song was followed by two more about the delights of the flesh, and that was the first half of the concert. Then, after the intermission, the performance had resumed, beginning with the portion of the piece called _In Taberna_. This section evoked a tavern, and the female singers were entirely silent for the four hearty songs about drinking and gambling. Castle could see O'Leary in the very back row, towering over all of his fellow basses, hardly even glancing at his score; clearly he was very familiar with the music.

Then the bar scene was over, and a rustle of anticipation went through the audience as Kate stood up, opening her score and holding it up in front of her. The adult choir sat down, leaving the children's choir standing. The flutes played a sweet melody, and the children sang in response, " _Amor volat undique_."

The flutes and orchestra played again, the children sang another phrase, and then another, and finally it was Kate's turn.

 _"Siqua sine socio_ ," she sang. She was still smiling slightly, a hint of humor in her eyes, and her voice was clear, steady, and pure. " _Caret omni gaudio_."

Castle found that he was smiling too. It was silly, this dulcet melody with the lilting flutes and the innocent children's voices, paired with lyrics about the bitterness of a girl who had no boyfriend. But Kate sounded wonderful. Her body language was confident, relaxed; her eyes sparkled, her lips curved, and her voice floated out into the hall, filling the whole space with the glorious music.

When the song was finished, she sat down again, and the baritone rose to sing _Dies, nox et omnia_ , a song of a rejected lover.

Then it was Kate's turn again, and Castle recognized in _Stetit puella_ the meandering series of notes that he had heard through Roy's window the other day. He was enraptured, his eyes glued to her as she sang. It wasn't the first time he had sat in an auditorium and listened to Kate singing, but he thought he would never get tired of it.

After that song, Kate sat for a few more numbers, and then sang her second solo aria, _In trutina_ , a contemplative piece in which the singer debated whether to remain chaste or to indulge her lascivious desires. Then the baritone soloist and the two choirs - children and adults - rose to join Kate, and they all launched enthusiastically into _Tempus est iocundum_ , a rollicking song about the delights of young love. Kate and the baritone soloist grinned at each other as they took turns singing the verses, hamming it up for the audience's benefit. The chorus members, young and old, were also smiling as they sang, everyone having fun with the rowdy lyrics and the energetic tune.

As soon as that piece had ended, Kate launched directly into _Dulcissime_ , her voice soaring effortlessly up to the high register. Her eyes were still dancing with merriment and she threw herself wholeheartedly into the short song. When she reached the high D, chills went down Castle's spine. It was clear, sweet, brilliant. Her voice seemed to be caressing the notes as she descended into the final few words of the song.

The conductor, Pamela, allowed the final notes to resound through the space for a long moment after Kate had stopped singing. Then, with a decisive snap of her wrist, Pamela brought the choir and orchestra into the penultimate movement, a big bold sound that crashed over the listeners like a tidal wave. Kate, smiling, stepped backward to take her seat again.

The final movement was a reprise of the very first movement of the piece, and Castle enjoyed it just as much the second time around, although this time he was distracted by Beckett, his gaze repeatedly wandering back to her as she sat there listening. He thought his chest might burst open with love and pride at how well she had sung, how poised and elegant she looked, how lucky he was to have her in his life.

The choir and orchestra brought the piece to its conclusion, and the audience surged to its feet, cheering and applauding vigorously. Kate stood alongside the conductor and the two male soloists, beaming. In the end, they had to do three curtain calls for the appreciative audience before at last the house lights came up and the choir and orchestra began to leave the stage.

Castle made his way out of the auditorium along with the rest of the audience, and then he weaved through the crowd toward the side doors that led backstage, stopping several times along the way to chat with various VIPs who recognized him. Everyone he met had glowing words to say about Kate's performance, and he couldn't stop smiling as he thanked them all.

Finally he found himself backstage, and after asking directions from a passing chorister, eventually located the dressing room door marked WOMEN.

"Kate?" he called, knocking lightly on the door. "Are you in there?"

After a brief pause, the door opened, and his face fell in disappointment when he saw that Kate had already changed out of the gorgeous gown. The dress she was wearing now was much more restrained, as befitting the post-concert dinner event that they were to attend next.

"Sorry," she smirked, correctly interpreting his expression. But he recovered quickly, slipping into the room and shoving the door closed behind him as he pulled Kate against him.

"You were amazing," he husked, staring into her eyes. "Incredible. Extraordinary."

"Thanks, babe," she said, her cheeks flushing pink with pleasure. She spoke softly, as she always did after performing, to let her vocal muscles rest. "It felt good. I thought the whole thing went really well."

"Oh, definitely. It was a great concert," he nodded. "And you were the best thing about it."

He kissed her before she could reply, tugging her body more tightly against his; and she responded, threading her fingers into his hair, pressing him back against the door, her tongue teasing at his. But after a few heated, breathless moments, she wrenched herself away.

"Nice try," she rasped, twisting her head to evade his attempt to recapture her lips. "Still not gonna happen, Castle."

"But this dressing room is even nicer than the other one," he pointed out reasonably, but he reluctantly let go of her when she pulled back.

"I hope you realize that makes no sense at all," she said. "And now I need to fix my makeup," she added, grumbling, as she checked herself in the mirror.

"It looks fine," he said, his hands finding her hips again. She narrowed her eyes at him in the mirror.

"Castle, behave yourself."

"What? I'm not doing anything." He crowded her from behind, watching as she opened her purse and took out her lipstick. She leaned toward the mirror, pursing her lips in preparation, but then she paused, her gaze snagging on his in the mirror. He smirked. She had definitely caught him watching her mouth, waiting to see her apply the lipstick.

"Castle," she snapped.

"What?" he said again, affronted, widening his eyes to show his innocence.

Kate put down the unused lipstick and turned to face him, her arms coming around his neck again. She pulled his head down and kissed him searingly, scorchingly. His knees went weak, and he clutched at her hips, drinking her in.

And then she was opening the door and shoving him through it, biting her bottom lip, giving that Mona Lisa smile of hers. He found himself out in the hallway, panting, his hair mussed, his pulse pounding. He stared dazedly at Kate as she gave him an affectionate pat on the chest.

"Be out in a minute," she murmured, and shut the door in his face.

* * *

Champagne fizzed through Kate's bloodstream, giving her a pleasant buzz as she sat with Castle and some of the other performers and their significant others at the governor's birthday dinner. She was feeling positively euphoric from the combination of the alcohol, the satisfaction of having given a good concert, and the nearness of her boyfriend - her heightened awareness of his presence creating a tingling sense of anticipation.

Despite the elegant setting of the upscale hotel ballroom, the dinner was a boisterous affair, drinks flowing liberally even before the meal had begun. Several of the governor's high-profile friends had roasted him while the guests ate, telling a series of jokes that left the entire room laughing.

After the food had been cleared away and dessert and coffee brought out, a band began to play; some of the guests trickled onto the dance floor in pairs, while others stayed at their tables, still conversing. The governor himself was circulating, his face red and shiny from drink, beaming with indulgent pleasure as he moved from table to table, chatting up the attendees.

Eventually he found his way to the soloists' table, and spent some minutes gushing delightedly about the performance. "Fantastic. Absolutely amazing," he pronounced, shaking Pamela the conductor's hand with gusto. "I can't thank you all enough. It must have been an amazing effort to put this together. I loved every minute of it."

"You're quite welcome," Pamela said, smiling widely. "It was my pleasure. I'm so glad you enjoyed it."

"Of course! Of course I did," he exclaimed. "And you," he added, as his gaze swept across the assembled faces and found Kate. "You were incredible." Quickly, he made his way around the table to take her hand, pressing it between both of his. "Stunning. The best I've ever heard. I got chills, let me tell you."

"Thank you so much," Kate said, unable to hold back her smile. She just hoped she wasn't blushing.

"I especially liked your _In trutina_ ," the governor went on earnestly, pulling out the chair next to Kate and sitting down, his eyes still on her face. "You know, usually when I listen to _Carmina Burana_ , which I do all the time, by the way - I have at least a dozen different recordings," he added, "I have to confess that I find that number kind of a downer. So slow and boring in between _Veni, veni_ and _Tempus est iocundum_. But you made it work for me. For the first time I felt like I understood what it's trying to say. A moment of contemplation in the midst of all the madness."

"That's exactly how I think of it," Kate agreed, delighted by the unexpected commentary. "It's like a little bit of introspection to break up all of that partying. The woman takes a bit of time out to think about what she really wants."

"And of course, in the end, she decides to go back to partying," Castle added, grinning, from behind Kate's shoulder.

The governor chortled, slapping his thigh. "Yes! Exactly. Exactly. A pleasure, by the way, Mr. Castle," he added, reaching out to shake Castle's hand. "Quite a pair you two make, don't you? I feel more talented just sitting here with you."

Kate lowered her eyes, blushing again. "Thank you, sir."

"No, no. Thank you." The governor stood up again, laying a hand briefly on Kate's shoulder. "Thank you so much for being part of this. It was lovely to meet you, and to hear you."

After he had gone, Kate turned back to the table, grateful to discover a fresh glass of champagne at her place. She took a hearty sip, still feeling flushed from the encounter.

"Had no idea he was such a music geek," Castle commented, and she nodded agreement, looking sideways at him.

"Me either," she said.

Castle put his napkin on the table and looked at her until she turned fully toward him. "Dance?" he asked hopefully.

Kate glanced over at the dance floor, which was well populated now, but not too crowded. "Sure."

It took them a while just to get to the dance floor, because it seemed that everyone they passed wanted to stop Kate and compliment her singing. She thanked them all sincerely, but her head was spinning from all the praise by the time she was securely in Castle's arms on the parquet. The band was playing a peppy, upbeat number as they began to dance.

"They're right, you know, all of them," Castle murmured as he whirled Kate across the floor. She bit her lower lip, hiding her embarrassed smile in his shoulder.

"I'm not used to this part," she admitted. "The accolades, everyone gushing over my performance. It's not the same when you're the concertmaster."

"No," he agreed. "It's different when you're the star of the show. You'll get used to it." He pulled back to look into her eyes. "You're going to have a lot of practice."

She nodded slowly, her arms tightening around Castle as they continued to move to the music. "This might sound weird," she said softly, "but it actually makes me feel closer to my mom. Thinking about how many times she did this kind of thing, how much she loved it." She held her head high, her eyes clear, fixed on Castle's beloved face. "When I sing, I can forget about everything else that happened, and just feel like I'm sharing something with her, even though she's gone."

Castle nodded, his eyes still on her face, gleaming with tenderness. "That doesn't sound weird at all. She's proud of you," he said with conviction. "Wherever she is, she's proud."

Kate breathed carefully. Her chest was tight with emotion, but in a good way. "I never could have done this without you," she said, brushing her lips lightly across Castle's cheek. "Thank you."

He smiled and held her close. The song changed then, the band members taking it down a notch, beginning a piece with a slower beat.

" _Are the stars out tonight?_ " the lead singer crooned. " _I don't know if it's cloudy or bright._ "

"I only have eyes for you," Castle hummed under his breath. Kate laughed softly, turning her head to get a look at the band as their singer continued the song.

As she was taking in the tiny stage where the five musicians were set up, watching them play, she felt Castle's arms slide off of her, releasing her; the front of her body felt suddenly cool, missing the warmth of him against her as he pulled away.

Surprised, she turned back, and when her gaze found her boyfriend again, the breath stopped in her throat.

Castle was down on one knee in front of her, a tiny black velvet box in his hand.

"Rick," she gasped, her hands flying up to her mouth. She was vaguely aware that the other dancers around them had fallen back, that every eye in the room was on them, but none of it really registered. She felt as if the whole world were spinning around them, the two of them here in the middle of a bubble where everything had stopped.

" _I don't know if we're in a garden, or on a crowded avenue..._ " the singer warbled.

"I could have written a thousand flowery speeches," Castle said, his eyes shining with adoration as he looked up at her, "but none of them would be adequate for you, Kate. I just love you so much. Will you marry me?"

His face went blurry before her as her eyes filled with tears. "Oh god, yes," she choked out. "Of course I will."

With a smile splitting his face from ear to ear, Castle opened the box and reached for her hand. When he slipped the ring onto her finger, the whole room erupted into applause.

The band stopped playing, and the singer announced into the microphone, "She said yes, ladies and gentlemen!" He held up his phone to the mic, and music rang forth - the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's _Messiah_.

Kate burst out laughing through her tears as Castle surged back up to his feet and wrapped his arms around her, bringing his lips to hers in a passionate kiss.

"You're incredible," she gasped against his mouth as she kissed him back, again and again.

" _You're_ incredible," he contradicted, his face shining with happiness. The band started up anew, and the other dancers resumed dancing. Castle pulled Beckett against him and whirled her back into motion, her hands resting on his chest. The ring on her finger caught the light, and she stared at it, bewitched by its brilliant sparkle. It dazzled her eyes; but then she lifted her gaze to his face, and that was even more dazzling.

"I love you," she breathed, feeling lighter than air.

"I love you," he murmured back, and they sailed across the dance floor as if they were the only two people in the world.

 _ **THE END**_

* * *

 _Author's Note: Once again, thank you all so much for coming along on this ride with me. It's gratifying to know that this alternate universe has its small but dedicated fan base. :)_

 _A special shout-out again to Katherine (The-KLF) for fabulous beta work. This story is definitely better than it would have been without her assistance!_

 _This concludes the saga of musician-Caskett as far as it goes inside my head. I don't have any further ideas or plans to continue this AU, although of course, you never know what could happen in the future._

 _Thanks for reading!_


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